ABSTRACT
A persistent problem in firmly establishing specific links between diet and health has been the difficulty of measuring usual dietary intake. The Food and Agricultural Organization, World Health Organization, and other groups sponsored a critical assessment of common types of dietary surveys, their pitfalls and application to various kinds of studies. Relatively few of the thousands of food items available are selected by an individual and prepared according to cultural and personal preferences. Fibers are inevitably altered during isolation and purification, making data on individual fibers almost irrelevant to ordinary people eating whole foods outside the setting of a clinical trial. Food-grade microalgae are already used as a source of colorants and to extend shelf life. They are constituents of pastas, snack foods, candy, gum, and beverages and are available as supplements because of their putative health benefits.
