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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 #270969
Title: FAO/INFOODS density database, version 1.0

Author
item CHARRONDIERE, RUTH - Food And Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations (FAO)
item Haytowitz, David
item STADLYMAYR, BARBARA - Food And Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations (FAO)

Submitted to: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Technical Workshop Report
Publication Type: Research Technical Update
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2011
Publication Date: 8/1/2011
Citation: Charrondiere, R., Haytowitz, D.B., Stadlymayr, B. 2011. FAO/INFOODS density database, version 1.0. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Technical Workshop Report. www.fao.org/infoods/Densitydatabasev2.pdf.

Interpretive Summary: Density is the ratio of mass to volume. This has application in dietary assessment, in that if the volume and density are known of a food, then gram weight (mass) can be calculated and hence nutrient intake determined. Several national food composition tables contain auxiliary tables of density, primarily for liquids. USDA’s Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies contains weight/volume data for a number of foods, from which density was derived. Additionally, a number of measurements havebeen made of liquids at FAO laboratories. Data from all these sources were combined to generate Version 1 of the FAO/INFOODS Density Database. The procedures used were as follows: the data are organized into food groups. The source of each density value is also reported. In the event that more than one source contained a density value for a given food, both are retained. This table will provide a valuable tool to assist scientists conducting dietary assessments in making better estimates of the amount of food consumed by study participants, and in turn, estimating their nutrient intakes.

Technical Abstract: Density is the ratio of mass to volume. This has application in dietary assessment, in that if the volume and density are known of a food, then gram weight (mass) can be calculated and hence nutrient intake determined. Several national food composition tables contain auxiliary tables of density, primarily for liquids. USDA’s Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies contains weight/volume data for a number of foods, from which density was derived. Additionally, a number of measurements havebeen made of liquids at FAO laboratories. Data from all these sources were combined to generate Version 1 of the FAO/INFOODS Density Database. The procedures used were as follows: the data are organized into food groups. The source of each density value is also reported. In the event that more than one source contained a density value for a given food, both are retained. This table will provide a valuable tool to assist scientists conducting dietary assessments in making better estimates of the amount of food consumed by study participants, and in turn, estimating their nutrient intakes.