Discontinued food codes resource for Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies 2019–2020

Authors: Friday, James; Myrowitz, Rebecca; Rhodes, Donna; Moshfegh, Alanna

Submitted to: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2023
Publication Date: 8/4/2023
Citation: Friday, J.E., Myrowitz, R., Rhodes, D.G., Moshfegh, A.J. 2023. Discontinued food codes resource for Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies 2019–2020. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105591.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105591

Interpretive Summary: USDA’s Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) application database is updated and released every two years in concert with What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The updates to FNDDS result in new food codes, revised descriptions, and updated nutrient profiles. Food codes may also be discontinued and removed from an FNDDS version. A discontinued codes resource was created to archive these food codes no longer used. This fifth resource release is titled Discontinued Food Codes between FNDDS 2017-2018 and FNDDS 2019-2020. One of five identifiers (1 Dropped, 2 Expanded, 3 Consolidated, 4 Renumbered, 5 Revised) is assigned to each code, providing a systematic explanation for discontinuing a code. When a code is consolidated or expanded, a link to a new or existing FNDDS code or codes is provided. The majority of the discontinued codes in this release were identified as 3 Consolidated which reflects the shift toward the use of generic food codes representing a variety of products in FNDDS. The discontinued codes resource can be downloaded from the Food Surveys Research Group website at www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg.

Technical Abstract: The discontinued codes resource archives the food codes no longer used in USDA’s Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) application database. One of five identifiers (1 Dropped, 2 Expanded, 3 Consolidated, 4 Renumbered, 5 Revised) is assigned to each code, providing a systematic explanation for discontinuing a code. This fifth release archives the 1,820 codes discontinued between FNDDS 2017-2018 and 2019-2020. The total number of discontinued codes for FNDDS 2019-2020 is comparable to that of FNDDS 2017-2018 and more than double that of FNDDS 2015-2016. In addition, there is an increase in the proportion identified as 3 Consolidated. More than 75% (1,382) of the discontinued codes were consolidated and now associated with another food code similar in ingredient content and nutrient profile. This reflects the shift toward the use of generic food codes representing a variety of products in FNDDS. The discontinued codes resource benefits users of FNDDS and researchers who conduct trend analysis using What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Discontinued Food Codes between FNDDS 2017-2018 and FNDDS 2019-2020 can be downloaded from the Food Surveys Research Group website at www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg.