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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Nutrient Data Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #203147
Title: Updating USDA’s Key Foods List using NHANES 2003-04 Data

Author
item Haytowitz, David
item Pehrsson, Pamela
item Holden, Joanne

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2006
Publication Date: 4/25/2007
Citation: Haytowitz, D.B., Pehrsson, P.R., Holden, J.M. 2007. Updating USDA’s Key Foods List using NHANES 2003-04 data. Experimental Biology, April 25, 2007, Washington, D.C.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Nutrient Data Laboratory has used a Key Foods approach to set priorities for the analysis of foods/nutrients for the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program. Key Foods are those foods designated as primary contributors for 16 nutrients of public health significance, and was last done with NHANES 2001-02 consumption data. NHANES 2003-04 food consumption data were combined with food composition data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference 18 to determine the nutrient-weighted contribution of each food. As a result, the new Key Foods list contains 454 food items, divided into 4 quartiles, based upon the percent amount consumed for each of the 16 nutrients. Quartile 1 contains common foods such as milk, eggs, processed cheese, margarine, and salt. Quartile 2 contains other popular foods such as French fries, tomatoes, sugar, and ground beef. Margarine (80% fat, stick) was the top contributor to fat intake (4.3%), followed by mayonnaise at 3.4%. Milk provided 9.9% of the saturated fat intake while sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages provided 5.8% of the energy intake and 22.6% of sugar intake. Changes in the Key Foods list items between 2002 and 2004 were minimal, validating previous choices of foods/nutrients for analysis and providing a cost-effective method to set priorities for monitoring key contributors of nutrients and for new analyses. Funded by: USDA & NIH Y1CN5010.