Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #382995

Research Project: USDA National Nutrient Databank for Food Composition

Location: Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory

Title: An Impossible Dream? Integrating Dietary Supplement Label Databases: Needs, Challenges, and Next Steps

Author
item DWYER, JOHANNA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH)
item SALDANHA, LEILA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH)
item BAILEN, RICHARD - National Institutes Of Health (NIH)
item DURAZZO, ALESSANDRA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item LE DONNE, CINZIA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item PICCINELLI, RAFFAELA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item ANDREWS, KAREN - University Of Maryland
item Pehrsson, Pamela
item GUSEV, PAVEL - University Of Maryland
item CALVILLO, ALICIA - Therapeutic Research Center
item CONNOR, EMILY - Abt Associates
item GOSHORN, JEANNE - National Institutes Of Health (NIH)
item SETTE, STEFANIA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item LUCARINI, MASSIMO - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item D’ADDEZIO, LAURA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item CAMILLI, EMANUELA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item MARLETTA, LUISA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis
item TURRINI, AIDA - Council For Agricultural Research And Ag Econcomy Analysis

Submitted to: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2021
Publication Date: 9/1/2021
Citation: Dwyer, J., Saldanha, L., Bailen, R., Durazzo, A., Le Donne, C., Piccinelli, R., Andrews, K., Pehrsson, P.R., Gusev, P., Calvillo, A., Connor, E., Goshorn, J., Sette, S., Lucarini, M., D’Addezio, L., Camilli, E., Marletta, L., Turrini, A. 2021. An impossible dream? Integrating dietary supplement label databases: Needs, challenges, and next steps. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2021.103882.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2021.103882

Interpretive Summary: Integrating ingredients in databases of dietary supplements (DS) involves harmonizing terminology describing ingredients, expressing amounts in a common fashion, and using interoperable description systems to link ingredients to related drug, food and other DS databases. Harmonizing ingredient descriptions facilitates calculation of bioactives in DS and allows estimation of their impact on the dietary, nutritional and health status of individuals and populations. Achieving greater DS integration is not an impossible dream, but many challenges exist within and between countries including variations in legislation governing their definition, scope, regulation and labeling. Next steps begin domestically and then proceed internationally. These include harmonizing definitions of constituents and units between terminologies for DS and food databases and employing technological advances in database architecture, computer software and hardware that facilitate database integration and interoperability. Thus, data in one application can be converted into a form that can be accessed by receiving applications.

Technical Abstract: Integrating ingredients in databases of dietary supplements (DS) involves harmonizing terminology describing ingredients, expressing amounts in a common fashion, and using interoperable description systems to link ingredients to related drug, food and other DS databases. Harmonizing ingredient descriptions facilitates calculation of bioactives in DS and allows estimation of their impact on the dietary, nutritional and health status of individuals and populations. Achieving greater DS integration is not an impossible dream, but many challenges exist within and between countries including variations in legislation governing their definition, scope, regulation and labeling. Next steps begin domestically and then proceed internationally. These include harmonizing definitions of constituents and units between terminologies for DS and food databases and employing technological advances in database architecture, computer software and hardware that facilitate database integration and interoperability. Thus, data in one application can be converted into a form that can be accessed by receiving applications.