databases have generally been compiled as independent national activities to meet local requirements for calculation nutrient intakes. This has made it difficult to use national datasets internationally. The recognition of the need to improve compatibility has led to the development of a number of cooperations and networks over the last 30 years, including the International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS), COST Action 99, and the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR), and much work has been done to improve the comparability of international food composition data. Find more information about the history of food composition databases in Synthesis Report No 1 by Susan Church (The History of European Food Composition Databases), available for download here