Location: Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory
Project Number: 8040-10700-004-005-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2020
End Date: Jul 30, 2025
Objective:
The USDA FoodData Central is the authoritative, nationally and internationally recognized high-quality food composition database that provides the foundation for most food composition databases used in food policy, research, dietary practice, and nutrition monitoring world-wide. This analytical work will address the growing importance for more accurate and current estimates of variability for commodity and commodity-derived foods, and current information about the composition of foods that mirrors the diversity and fast-paced changes in the food environment which contribute to health and prevention of chronic diseases related to diet.
Approach:
FoodData Central contains data for thousands of foods and 150+ nutrients and food components. The food composition data are derived from USDA contracted analyses and agricultural scientists. They are used to improve the quality and quantity of analytical data in the USDA food composition databases since 1997. USDA analytical oversight and a comprehensive, multi-step quality control program are important features of this analytical program; specific aims are: a) Identify and prioritize foods and nutrients for analysis; b) Devise and implement food-specific sampling plans; c) Acquire and analyze food samples; d) Review, compile, and disseminate values for mean nutrient, estimates of variability and associated metadata.
