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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 #234291
Title: Formulation and Recipe Calculations in the USDA National Nutrient Databank System

Author
item Holden, Joanne
item Lemar, Linda

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2008
Publication Date: 10/21/2008
Citation: Holden, J.M., Lemar, L.E. 2008. Formulation and recipe calculations in the USDA National Nutrient Databank System. Environmental Protection Agency Meeting, October 21, 2008, Crystal City, Virginia.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objectives of the presentation are to: 1) familiarize representatives of the Office of Pesticide Programs of the Environmental Protection Agency with the Nutrient Data Laboratory's USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and its relationship to the Food Surveys Research Group's Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Surveys and MyPyramid Equivalents Database; 2) briefly acquaint the audience with other NDL products including special interest databases and food composition search applications; 3) describe the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program; 4) describe how the formulation estimation process is used to calculate missing nutrient values needed for survey items; and 5) explain how the estimated formulations give information necessary for translating FNDDS foods into the 32 MyPyramid food groups. The EPA has similar needs for estimating formulations because it needs to be able to disaggregate FNDDS foods into Raw Agricultural Commodities (RACs) and predict pesticide levels of US foods containing these RACs. The NDL presentation includes limitations, as well as benefits, of the formulation estimation process. Limitations include the difficulty of entering ingredients in food-label ingredient order of predominance when some of the product’s ingredients are listed together within parentheses (e.g. whole grains (wheat, barley, rice)) and the difficulty in developing a generic formulation for items represented by multiple brand name products. It is anticipated that further discussions will occur between the NDL and the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs regarding formulation estimation techniques.