ABSTRACT
Food composition tables and databases provide the foundation on which food and nutrition research, policy, and practice are based. Some aspects of food composition are evident by merely seeing, tasting, or preparing the food. Sugar and salt are evident by taste, carotene by its orange color, and fat content by rendering. Other essential factors are impossible to identify without chemical analysis, and all require chemical analysis for an accurate estimate of amount present. The food label is probably the most accessible source of food data for the consumer; however, the student and researcher require a more comprehensive source of data. Analytical data may come from many sources including scientific literature, government sources, food industry laboratories, or from contractual studies. As a result, data from such diverse sources are often of uneven quality and lacking in detailed supporting documentation. Effective food composition databases must be routinely updated to keep pace with many developing phenomena.
