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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Surveys Research Group » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160777
Title: THE EFFECT OF IMPROVED FOOD COMPOSITION DATA ON NATIONAL INTAKE ESTIMATES

Author
item Ahuja, Jaspreet
item Goldman, Joseph
item Perloff, Betty

Submitted to: National Nutrient Databank Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/9/2004
Publication Date: 6/24/2004
Citation: Ahuja, J.K.C., Goldman, J.D., Perloff, B.P. 2004. Effect of improved food composition data on national intake estimates [abstract]. 28th National Nutrient Databank Conference Program and Abstracts. p. 21.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Recently, the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program (NFNAP) has generated current and improved analytical data for several key foods in the U.S. food supply. These improved data have been incorporated into the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Survey Nutrient Database (SNDB) for trends analysis, which enables differentiation between real changes in foods versus data improvements. Using the trends analysis system, the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) 1994-96, 98 was reanalyzed to adjust for data improvements. Mean intakes were calculated for different sex-age groups using SAS version 8.02. The differences in the intake estimates were tested for significance using SAS callable SUDAAN version 8. Minor differences were observed for energy, protein, and iron, whereas large differences were seen for some nutrients including calcium, vitamin C, and riboflavin. Some of these differences were significant for several sex-age groups at p=0.01. Improving food composition data is a dynamic and continuous process. These changes can cause artifactual differences in some nutrients, and hence intake estimates may require adjustments to improve comparability with more current intakes. The USDA's SNDB for trends analysis is designed to facilitate such analyses.