Report: Release of the International Life Sciences Institute Crop Composition Database Version 5

The International Life Sciences Institute Crop Composition Database (ILSI-CCDB) Version 5 was released to the public in October 2014, and is an open-access source of comprehensive nutritional composition data for six conventionally bred crops (canola, cotton, field corn, rice, soybean, and sweet corn). Some notable features include a substantially greater amount of data (842,500 data points, a seven-fold increase compared to Version 4) as well as data for three additional crops (canola, rice, and sweet corn). For each additional crop, the appropriateness of each nutritional component and analytical methodology were carefully evaluated by a working group consisting of members representing academia, government agencies, and the agricultural and food industries. Rigorous data validation and quality control processes were established. Literature references for the analytical methods represented in the database were standardized and consolidated, allowing faster data upload for data providers and increased clarity for database end-users. Data quality checks were conducted on all data to identify and correct any errors that may have occurred during upload and subsequent handling in the database. The result of these efforts is a database with increased utility and ease of use that provides a high quality representation of variability in crop nutritional composition.