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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Surveys Research Group » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160749
Title: NEW RELEASE ON THE WEB: USDA FOOD AND NUTRIENT DATABASE FOR DIETARY STUDIES

Author
item Montville, Janice
item Ahuja, Jaspreet
item Ingwersen, Linda
item Haggerty, Etta Susanne

Submitted to: National Nutrient Databank Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2003
Publication Date: 6/26/2004
Citation: Bodner-Montville, J., Ahuja, J.K.C., Ingwersen, L., Haggerty, E.S. 2004. New USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies [abstract]. 28th National Nutrient Databank Conference Program and Abstracts. p. 38.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Objective: To provide ready access to the food and nutrient database produced by the Food Surveys Research Group for use with national food surveys and other dietary studies. Methods and Materials: The USDA Survey Nutrient Database and other technical files used to code foods and calculate nutrient values for national food consumption surveys were updated, redesigned, and renamed the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies. This new database is now accessible over the Internet. Code numbers and descriptions were added for new foods reported in What We Eat in America, the dietary component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2002 (NHANES). Food weights and measures were updated to reflect current fast food and other individually sized products. Additional nutrients were added to those previously covered by the Survey Nutrient Database and all values were updated based on the latest version of the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Both ASCII and Microsoft Access formats were prepared. Results: The USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies is available for downloading from the Internet (http://www.barc.usda.gov/bhnrc/foodsurvey/home.htm) in two common formats. It contains information for several thousand foods, including many brand name products. Values for energy and 60 nutrients are included for each food, as well as weights for common food portions (over 30,000 weights in total). Extensive documentation accompanies the database. The website provides a list of frequently asked questions, a bibliography of relevant research, and links to other sites with applications using the database. Significance: The database of food and nutrient information used to analyze national food surveys is now readily accessible in a choice of common formats. The database may be used in conjunction with research utilizing dietary data from What We Eat in America, the dietary component of NHANES, or you may apply it to your own dietary studies, thus providing comparability with national data.