Food Composition Data Bank
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Characterisation Historical facts Databases Components Software Main outputs Current international actitities Current national activities Services |
CHARACTERISATION
- Term data bank means special type of information resource, into which specific facto-graphical information are collected and systematically processed. It is a complex of methods, procedures and techniques of data storage and data retrieval.
- The Slovak Food Composition Data Bank (SFCDB), as the unique working-place in the Slovak Republic, is dealing with nutrient content of foods, i.e. food composition databases both in electronic and printed form. Besides data collection, documentation and compilation, it provides outputs for users and thus application of the food composition data in different ways and areas (nutrition, health, school education, etc.).
HISTORICAL FACTS
The SCFDB was established in 1976 as the Food Section of the Central Data Bank of the Ministry of Agriculture and Nutrition of the Slovak Republic. During 80`ies a lot of experimental analytical data on different food properties were gathered from the whole territory of the former Czechoslovakia. The missing values were completed with scientific literature data, foreign food composition databases, and calculations as well as by the estimations. This extensive data collection resulted in not only detailed food composition of the large number of primary foods and food products (that time available on food market), but also in collection of data on their physical properties (e.g. edible proportion, density, viscosity, etc.). These data were transformed to the electronic form by means of the mainframe computer and thus, considering complicated data processing from paper form to the computer outputs, the probability of the errors occurrence was significant.
At the beginning of the 90´ies the databases were moved from mainframe computer to personal computers. Simultaneously, in co-operation with the software specialists, the software for data processing and application has been developed. Subsequently another additional databases (recommended dietary allowances, retention factors, energy expenditure during various physical activities) and also algorithms for calculated parameters (calculated dry matter, CSI index, EAAI - essential amino acids index, total energy value and its structure, etc.) were added into the software. A multifunctional software providing wide data application in different areas was created. Despite of the SFCDB computerising, much information formerly recorded on papers is missing in the current system.
DATABASES
- Physical characteristics of primary foods,
- Chemical composition, nutritional and energy value of foods,
- Recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for different categories of Slovak population,
- Recommended dietary allowances for different countries (e.g. EU countries, USA, UK, CZ),
- Retention factors,
- Energy expenditure during various physical activities.
Databases are updated gradually and their extent depends on data availability and data relevance.
COMPONENTS (PARAMETERS)
Physical properties:
length, weight, thermo-dynamical and electric characteristics, bio-physical and technological properties, coefficient of edible proportion, etc.
Chemical components:
water, dry matter
protein and other nitrogenous matters - total protein, animal and plant protein, gluten, individual amino acids, total purines
lipids - total fat, individual fatty acids, sterols (cholesterol, phytosterol)
carbohydrates - total carbohydrates, individual sugars, starch, fibre complex, organic acids, colouring matters, tanning matters
minerals - ash, individual macro- and microelements
vitamins
Calculated components
Provide either control calculation (e.g. calculated dry matter) or nutritive value (e.g. EAAI - information about quality of present proteins)
dry matter calculated, sum of essential, semi-essential and unessential amino acids, Chemical Score (CS), Essential Amino Acids Index (EAAI), proportion of Essential and Total amino acids (E/T), sum of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, CSI-index, Polyunsaturated-to-Saturated fatty acids P/S, Lipid Prevention Score LPS, dietary fibre calculated, retinol equivalent, niacin equivalent, energy value total and its structure (partial energy from proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, organic acids, polyols and alcohol).
SOFTWARE
DMS (Data Management Software) – software for data collection, management of initial data and compilation of food composition tables.
Alimenta is nutritional software and electronic food composition table.
Main functions:
- Recipe calculation (nutrient, weight losses and gains considered);
- Modelling (modification) of calculated food composition and diets;
- Food composition compared and evaluated against RDA;
- Nutrient intake assessment of individuals and groups during different period of time;
- Creation of specific diet models;
- Balance of energy intake and expenditure balance
DARIS is software in development phase, which is appointed for collecting and managing data for detailed documentation of food data in accord with EuroFIR standard and according to methodology of Slovak Food Data Bank.
In the first level of development, software will include any algorithms; it will be used just for documentation of food data. Documented data can be various: experimental, literary, data from label etc. Recorded accompanying data - meta data about method of analyses, sampling, data source and exact identification of foods and nutrients – guarantee trace back of sources of data and it will enable evaluate quality of data.
More information about softwares will be provided on request.
MAIN OUTPUTS
- Specific data sets
- Calculated recipes (food products, dishes, diets)
- Food products labelling
- Nutrient intake assessments
- Education tools
- Software for end-users
- Basis for legislative documents
- Basis for national nutritional programmes
CURRENT INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
The Official Slovak Development Support Programme in Food Composition Area for Central and Eastern European Countries
Slovak Food Composition Data Bank with financial support of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the frame of the Official Development Support Programme have been providing grants to various training and capacity building activities for the region of Central and Eastern Europe since 2004. The main goal of this support is to enhance and strengthen knowledge of potential food composition data producers and compilers in Central and Eastern Europe. The initiative is aimed preferably to regions and countries where information on food composition data is missing and/or official food composition database administration is not appointed.
The support has been addressed to Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine. Technical support is mediated by providing financial support (e.g. editing food composition tables, hardware purchase) and unified software to the national database institution.
EuroFIR NEXUS
Project of the Seventh Framework Program
Coordinator: Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK
Duration: 04/2011 – 03/2013
This project will further develop, implement and refine the European Food Platform in order to improve and support the ways in which research is carried out into the relationships between food, diets and health in Europe. This leads to increased usage and exploitation of national food data and EuroFIR tools, through the EuroFIR Platform, for pan-European nutrition studies, networked usage, and implementation of standards and best practice. This together forms the basis of EuroFIR’s long-term financial self-survivability and sustainability through the newly established legal entity EuroFIR Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif (EuroFIR AISBL; a non-profit international association established in 2009 by nine EuroFIR partner organizations and based in Brussels). The mission of EuroFIR AISBL is the development, publication and exploitation of food composition data and accompanying information in order to support and underpin research into food quality, food safety, diet and health in Europe, through EuroFIR eSearch facility (simultaneous online search of several national and specialized food composition databases). More information at: www.eurofir.org. EuroFIR Nexus comprises of 19 beneficiaries, including Food Research Institute, which is a member of EuroFIR AISBL as well as.
CURRENT NATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Management and Actualisation of Food Composition Database.
People need essential information on food composition as well as an access to the information in order they can influence their own dietary patterns. Slovak Food Composition Data Bank (SFCDB) at VUP Food Research Institute Bratislava has been building food composition database and releasing various outputs for end-users in the long term.
One of the information resources of the SFCDB is the first official online food composition database, which was launched in April 2010, and is available at: http://www.pbd-online.sk/. Online food composition database consist of 1400 food a dishes, scale of 54 nutrients and is free available for specialists and common public.
Slovakia is part of EU open market of food. Motion of raw food, innovation of food products brings a wide range of new products, dishes and new raw food as well. National food composition databases can be enriched and actualized by nutritional composition of traditional food and dishes, etc.
The main goal of this project is actualization of databases of SFCDB and permanent maintenance and running of online food composition database.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
| Service | Price including VAT 20% Price of book including VAT 10% |
| Following services and products can be ordered by e-mail: pbd@vup.sk | |
| Recipe calculation and/or nutrient facts for food labelling | Handling charge 43 € Calculation of individual component 2.4 € (up to 24 hours - 100% additional charge) |
| Selection of a specific data set from the database | price depends on data set volume |
| Food composition tables: | |
| Fruit and Vegetable (1997) (only in electronic form – CD) |
5.5 € |
| Milk and Eggs (only in electronic form – CD) |
5.5 € |
| Cereals and Legumes (only in electronic form – CD) |
5.5 € |
| Fats, Oil-bearing plants, Oils and Nuts | 5.5 € |
| Poultry and Game | 5.5 € |
| Fish | 5.5 € |
| Meat | 5.5 € |
Meals and Dishes  |
5.5 € |
| technical tools: | |
| Eat healthy (Stravuj sa zdravo)  |
free |
| Pyramid software (Výukový softvér o výžive) |
free |
| Cholesterol in foods |
free |
| Selenium in foods |
free |
| Dietary fibre in foods |
free |
| Software | |
| Alimenta 4.2 | 987.5 €, new price from 1.7.2013 490 € |
| Alimenta 4.3 Database of energy expenditure during various physical activities, balance of energy intake and energy expenditure | 1185 €, new price from 1.7.2013 590 € |
CONTACT
Slovak Food Composition Data Bank
Department of Risk Assessment, Food Composition Data Bank and Consumer's Survey
VUP Food Research Institute
Priemyselná 4
824 75 Bratislava 26
Slovak Republic
Phone.: +421-2- 50237115
fax: +421-2- 555714 17
e-mail: pbd@vup.sk