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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Surveys Research Group » Docs » FNDDS Download help

 

File Format Options and Contents

You will download a single self-extracting executable zip data file that contains all the data files and the documentation. All databases are available in MS Access® and SAS® format.

  • MS Access® contains the data imported into a database in MS Access® format. You need MS Access 2000 or higher to use this file.
  • SAS® contains the data in SAS formatted files.

Documentation is included in a PDF file with each download.

Record counts, i.e., the number of records in each data file, are also included with each download. In the FNDDS databases, the record counts are tabulated in a file named FNDDSRecCount. In all other databases, the record counts are in the documentation.

Instructions for Downloading and Extracting Databases

We suggest you print these instructions before you begin the download. Click on File > Print > OK.

  1. Begin download by right-clicking your mouse on one of the links below. In the list that pops up, click on "save (link) target as."
  2. In the "save as" dialog box, select a destination directory in which to save the downloaded file. Click "save" to begin the download.
  3. After the download is complete, use "Windows Explorer" or "My Computer" to locate the file in the destination directory.
  4. Begin extraction by double-clicking on the file. In the dialog box that opens, click "finish."
  5. When asked whether to create a directory, click "yes." Then, when asked whether to run a program, click "yes" again.
  6. Windows Explorer will open, displaying the extracted files in the newly created c:\database name\access (or c:\database name\sas) directory.