CHILD NUTRITION DATABASE


VERSION CN12












SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND FILE FORMATS























CHILD NUTRITION DATABASE
(CN-D)

VERSION CN12


SYSTEM COMPONENTS

CN Coding Data Base
   Food Description File (FDES)
   Food Category Name File (CTGNME)
   Food Include File (FINCL)
      
   Gram Weights and Measure Descriptions File (WGHT)1
   Food Subcode File (FSUBCOD)
   Food Subcode Description File (FSUBDES)

CN Nutrient Data Base
   Nutrient Values File (NUTVAL)
   Nutrient Description File (NUTDES)

Other Files2
   Food Buying Guide File (BUYGD)3
   Food Buying Guide Link File (BYGDLNK)3
   Data Quality Control Table for Food Industry Items (DQC)

1Release 8 was presented with a new table structure for the GMWT and MDES data.  CN8 adopted a format similar to the WEIGHT table structure used in the Standard Reference 15 Weight table.  This table structure was adopted because it is an effective way to combine the weight and measure description information, and because it makes for a more efficient way to incorporate Standard Reference data in the CN Database.  In order to implement this change in the CN Database, the MDES table was removed and the data from the MDES table was added to the GMWT table.  This combined GMWT and MDES table was renamed the WEIGHT table to follow the Standard Reference naming convention. 

2The MSFTCHG File was marked as discontinued in CN10 and has been removed from CN11.

3CN8 included an updated Food Buying Guide File which reflects the changes made in the November 2001, Revised Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (Program aid 1331). 


CHILD NUTRITION DATABASE
(CN-D)

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

The data files described in this document are designed and developed for nutritional analysis in the USDA Child Nutrition Programs.

The file formats include the name of each field, followed by the type of field (N=numeric, A=alphanumeric, and D=date), the field length including decimals, and an * (asterisk) symbol to indicate that a field is indexed, followed by the field description.  The indexes are identified in this document to display the order of records within the Agricultural Research Service data base system. The files described here are released in ASCII format and, therefore, do not have indexes.  Fields are separated by caret symbols (^), except for alphanumeric fields, which are denoted by tilde (~) symbols.

Eleven files were released in the CN12 version.  The abbreviated file names are FDES, CTGNME, FINCL, WGHT, FSUBCOD, FSUBDES, NUTVAL, NUTDES, BUYGD, BYGDLNK, and DQC. The CTGNME file contains descriptions for food categories assigned to foods in the FDES and BUYGD files. The DQC file contains the results of the nutrient data quality control field used to identify the nutrient information available for each item. 

As of CN9, the nutrient unit for gram listed in the NUTDES Table has been changed from GM to g.

Discontinued Items

Each release contains revisions made to information included in the previous CN files. The status field in the FDES, FINCL, WGHT, NUTVAL, BUYGD AND BYGDLNK files should be checked against the previous CN release since some records have been discontinued in these CN files. The records that were marked as discontinued in the previous CN release have been removed from this CN release.  Please be advised that all discontinued records indicated by status = "d" found in this CN release will be removed in the next CN release. All discontinued records should then also be deleted from the system files.

Clarification of CN Database Items with Status of d

The status field of the CN Database is intended to notify developers and users of approved software that data, such as food items used in recipes and menus, will no longer be included in the next release of the CN Database and to provide users with ample time to replace the data.  The status field shows which food items and other data, such as weights and measures, are active as designated by an a and which food items are being discontinued and designated by a d.  The contractor managing the CN Database will not remove data marked with a d until the next release.  Software developers must ensure that software programs do not interfere with this alert mechanism intended to inform the end users when data will no longer be available.  The data marked with d should not be removed from the programs database until it is physically removed from the CN Database with the next release.  Ideally, software developers should have a system in the program for alerting the user about foods marked with d, such as a warning message or report.

Comments and Notes for CN12 Release

CN12 Release: A record with a date after 5/1/2007 in the date added field is a new record in the CN12 release. A record with a date after 5/1/2007 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN12 release.  All products marked as discontinued in CN11 have been removed from CN12 (254 products).

Note for CN12: All Standard Reference 20 updates have been applied to the CN SREF products included in this release.  350 additional SREF products have been added and 248 SREF products have been coded as discontinued in this release. 


CN CODING DATABASE

The CN CODING DATA BASE contains information needed for coding foods and amounts in the analysis of menus and recipes.  For each food on the database, there is a food identification code and a food category code, a description of the food, a set of measures for the food, and gram weights for those measures.  Some codes may also have "includes" for similar foods with comparable nutrient values and weights for the same measure, such as specific brand items or species (e.g., fish).  Some codes may also have subcodes for foods with comparable nutrient values but different weights for the same measure (e.g., different brands of an ice cream bar may have a different weight).  Product codes, manufacturer names, brand/label names and brand/label codes are also identified for commercially prepared foods sold for use in Child Nutrition Programs.

The CN CODING DATA BASE consists of six (6) files.  They are the FOOD DESCRIPTION, FOOD INCLUDE, FOOD SUBCODE, FOOD SUBCODE DESCRIPTION, WEIGHTS, and FOOD CATEGORY NAME files.

Foods on the database are listed in one of three (3) descriptive files--FOOD DESCRIPTION, FOOD INCLUDE, and FOOD SUBCODE DESCRIPTION.  Placement of food in one of these files is dependent upon whether nutrient profiles and weights for identical measures are comparable or different.  Because the user of the CN Database files will not know which of these files a food is placed in, locating a food in the CN CODING DATA BASE requires opening all three descriptive files--FOOD DESCRIPTION, FOOD INCLUDE, FOOD SUBCODE DESCRIPTION.


FOOD DESCRIPTION (FDES) file contains both a complete description and an abbreviated description for a food in the CN Database. For commercially prepared (brand) foods sold for use in Child Nutrition Programs, the product code or UPC code and manufacturer name, associated with the item, are listed.

In CN11, the Descriptor field was expanded from a 200 to a 255 character field.


FOOD DESCRIPTION (FDES)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
Food Category Code
N 2*
Classifies food into a designated group
Descriptor
A 255*
Item description
Abbreviated Descriptor
A 60
Abbreviated Item description
CN Code
N 6
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
Product Code
A 15
The item product code defined by the manufacturer or the UPC code.  The UPC code is identified with the prefix UPC.
Manufacturer Name
A 80
The manufacturer name
Recipe Code
A 6
Code for a standardized recipe, listed on a recipe card
Source Code
N 1
Specifies source of nutrient values-

USDA Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference (1),

Standardized recipe Calculation (2),

Food industry (3), 

Commodity (4)
Date Added
D
The date that the food was first placed in this file (mm/dd/yyyy)
Last Modified
D
Date of last revision to this record
(mm/dd/yyyy)
Status 
A 1
Active (a) or 
Discontinued (d)
Form of Food
A 12
Designated only for brand foods (foods with source code 
3)as purchased or as served;
(as purchased food requires preparation before serving; as served food does not require add. prep)
FOOD CATEGORY NAME (CTGNME) file contains the codes and descriptions for food categories assigned to foods in the FOOD DESCRIPTION and FOOD BUYING GUIDE files.


FOOD CATEGORY NAME (CTGNME)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
Food Category Code
N 2*
Code for classifying food into a designated group
Category Description
A 100
Description of food category grouping
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
Discontinued  (d)




FOOD INCLUDE (FINCL) file contains foods with similar nutrient values to a particular food code in the FDES file.  In addition to the same or similar nutrient values, foods in the FINCL file also have the same weights for measures as the linked CN code.  For example, acorn, butternut, hubbard and pumpkin squash are included with winter squash because of their similar nutrient profiles and weights for the same measures.  Brand-name foods can also be includes.  For example, several brand-specific cheese pizzas may be includes with one code representing cheese pizza because of their similar nutrient profiles.  Each food in the FINCL for the same CN Code has a unique line number.

In CN11, the Include Description field was expanded from a 200 to a 255 character field.

In CN2, New fields have been added to make the descriptions for foods in this file stand-alone.  In the first release of the CN-D, the include description was not always stand-alone.  For some foods, there was only a qualifying phrase such as "with fruit" for instant oatmeal.  The complete identification of an INCLUDE food required both the individual INCLUDE DESCRIPTION and the DESCRIPTION from the FDES file for the linked CN code.  Fields added for the CN2 release included the followingFood Category Code, Abbreviated Descriptor, Product Code, Manufacturer Name, Form of Food, Recipe Code, and Source Code. The Include Description or Brand/Label field was expanded in the CN2 release from a 100 to a 200 character field.



FOOD INCLUDE (FINCL)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Code
N 6*
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
Include Sequence Number
N 3*
Sequence number for uniquely identifying items with the same CN code.
Brand/Label Code
A 10
Code for Brand/Label items
Include Description (long)
A 255
Item description or Brand/Label Name
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
Discontinued  (d)
Food Category Code
N 2
Code for classifying food into a designated group
Abbreviated Descriptor
A 60
Abbreviated item description
Product Code
A 15
The item product code defined by the manufacturer or the UPC code.  The UPC code is identified with the prefix UPC.
Manufacturer Name
A 80
The manufacturer name
Form of food
A 12
Designated only for brand foods (foods with source code 3)--as purchased or as served; (as purchased food requires preparation before serving; as served food does not require additional preparation.)
Recipe Code
A 6
Code for a standardized recipe, listed on a recipe card
Source Code
N 1
Specifies source of nutrient values--

USDA Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference (1), 

Standardized recipe 
Calculation (2),

Food industry (3), 

Commodity (4)


FOOD SUBCODE (FSUBCOD) file identifies the CN code to which a subcode is linked.  This file and the FOOD SUBCODE DESCRIPTION file allow the separate listing of brand-name and special-case foods for the purpose of identifying unique weights for the same measure of food with the same nutrient profile.  For example, different brands of a chocolate cupcake with icing or filling may have the same nutrient profile and therefore, would be classified into one CN code.  However, the weight for "1 package" for different brands might vary and, therefore, each brand would be assigned a unique subcode.


FOOD SUBCODE (FSUBCOD)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Code
N 6*
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
CN Subcode
N 7*
Unique sequence number used to identify item.
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status 
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued (d)


FOOD SUBCODE DESCRIPTION (FSUBDES) file contains a code and descriptive information for each unique brand-name food or special-case food.

In CN11, the Subcode Descriptor field was expanded from a 200 to a 255 character field.

In CN2, like the FOOD INCLUDE file, new fields were added to this file in order to make the descriptions stand-alone since the CN1 release.  Fields added are the following--Food Category Code, Abbreviated Descriptor, Product Code, Manufacturer Name, Form of Food, Recipe Code and Source Code.  The Subcode Descriptor field was expanded from a 100 to a 200 character field.

FOOD SUBCODE DESCRIPTION (FSUBDES)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Subcode
N 7*
Unique sequence number used to identify item. Linked to the FSUBCOD file
Brand/Label Code
A 10
Code for Brand/Label items
Subcode Descriptor
A 255
Item description
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
Discontinued  (d)
Food Category Code
N 2
Code for classifying food into a designated group
Abbreviated Descriptor
A 60
Abbreviated item description
Product Code
A 15
The item product code defined by the manufacturer or the UPC code.  The UPC code is identified with the prefix UPC.
Manufacturer Name
A 80
The manufacturer name
Form of Food
A 12
Designated only for brand foods (foods with source code 3)--as purchased or as served;
(as purchased food requires preparation before serving; 
as served food does not require additional preparation.)
Recipe Code
A 6
Code for a standardized recipe, listed on a recipe card
Source Code
N 1
Specifies source of nutrient Values--
USDA Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference (1),

Standardized recipe Calculation (2),

Food industry (3), 

Commodity (4)

WEIGHTS (WGHT) file contains weight and measure information for specific foods.  All weights are in grams. 

In CN8, this file was created by merging the old MDES and GMWT files into one file.  Refer to page 1 for more information.  


WEIGHTS (WGHT)3
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Code
N 6*
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
CN Subcode
N 7*
Unique sequence number used for either a brand name food item or special case item.
Weights Sequence Number
N 2*
Unique sequence number used to identify record.
Amount
N 6.3
Unit Modifier - e.g. 1 in 1 cup)
Measure Description
A 80
Description (e.g. Cup, Diced, 1" pieces)
Gram Weight
N 8.2
Gram weight of food item
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued  (d)
3Starting with CN8, this table replaced the GMWT and MDES tables.  

CN NUTRIENT DATABASE

The CN NUTRIENT DATA BASE consists of two files--NUTRIENT VALUES and NUTRIENT DESCRIPTION.

NUTRIENT VALUES (NUTVAL) file contains nutrient values for foods to be used in analysis of menus and recipes in the Child Nutrition Programs.  Sources of data for this file include the USDA Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference; nutrient calculations for standardized school lunch recipes; and industry data for foods sold for school lunch or breakfast programs.  All nutrient values are based on 100 grams.  Additional value type codes have been added to the NUTVAL Table to describe the type of value for a nutrient.

Differentiating Between Data Containing Zeros and Missing Data

Nutrient data represented by a zero means that the food item was tested for that nutrient, but there was no significant amount of that nutrient found in the food.  For example, a value of zero for food energy or calories means that this food contains no calories.  Values of zero are not to be interpreted as missing values or blanks; they must remain zeros.

Please notify FNS if you find any food items with missing values or blanks for any of the 12 required nutrients: protein, total fat, carbohydrate, food energy, total dietary fiber, calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin A in IU, vitamin C, cholesterol, and saturated fat.  Foods that do not provide values for all 12 required nutrients should not be included in the CN Database. 

In the case of optional nutrients (ash, moisture, and trans fat), missing nutrient values may exist and are shown as blanks in the CN Database.  Blank nutrient values should not be interpreted as zeros.  Blank nutrient values should be interpreted and marked as missing values; for example, an asterisk with a footnote would indicate that the nutrient value is missing.  Additionally, any nutrient total containing a missing value must also be marked as including missing nutrient data.  Use of a zero to represent a missing value is incorrect.  Zeros must only be used for true zero values.  Optional nutrients are the only acceptable nutrients to be assigned missing values in the CN Database.



NUTRIENT VALUES (NUTVAL)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Code
N 6*
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
Nutrient Code
N 5*
Code used to identify a particular nutrient. Linked to Nutrient Description file
Nutrient Value
N 10.3
Value for nutrient
Value Type Code

Note: The Value Type Code is intended for internal use only and should not be displayed to software users.
N 3
Type of value
Calculated from standardized school lunch recipe (0);
Analytical (1), 
Imputed (4), 
Based on label claim (5),
assume zeropresence not expected (7),
Calculated from label claim (8), 
Calculated by manufacturer (9)
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued  (d)

NUTRIENT DESCRIPTION (NUTDES) file contains the names and codes for nutrients included in the NUTRIENT VALUES file. 

NUTRIENT DESCRIPTION (NUTDES)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
Nutrient Code
N 5*
Code used to identify a particular nutrient.
Nutrient Description
A 30
Description of nutrient
Nutrient Description (abbreviated)
A 5 
Abbreviated description of nutrient
Nutrient Unit
A 5
Identifies the measure (calories, grams, milligrams, International Units, etc.) for reporting a nutrient in the Nutrient Values file.
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued  (d)


OTHER CN FILES


FOOD BUYING GUIDE (BUYGD) file contains data on the quantity of ready-to-serve, ready-to-cook or cooked food obtained from a purchased unit of food.  Also included are weights of drained vegetables or fruits from various can sizes.  The information from the BUYGD file must be provided to software users as a reference. 

With CN8, The Food Buying Guide File was updated to include the changes made in the November 2001, Revised Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (Program aid 1331).

FOOD BUYING GUIDE (BUYGD)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
Food Category Code
N 2*
Code for classifying food into a designated group
Food Description
A 255*
Item description
Buying Guide Code
N 4*
Code used to identify a particular buying guide item.
Sequence Number
N 2*
Unique sequence number used to identify item.
Purchase Unit
A 60
Purchase unit
Preparation Description
A 60
Description of preparation
Edible Portion Amount
N 5.2
Specifies the part of a portion size
Edible Portion Measure
A 8
Measure for food such as 
c (cup),
TB (tablespoon)
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued  (d)
FOOD BUYING GUIDE LINK (BYGDLNK) file identifies buying guide codes matched to CN codes for use in calculating edible portion weight.

In CN8, The Food Buying Guide Link File was updated with links from the updated Food Buying Guide File to the current Food Description File.

FOOD BUYING GUIDE LINK (BYGDLNK)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Code
N 6*
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
Buying Guide Code
N 4*
Code used to identify a particular buying guide item.
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued (d)



DATA QUALITY CONTROL (DQC) This file was added in CN3.  It contains the results of a data quality control check. It is important to note that each item has sixteen nutrient (NUTVAL) records associated with it, however the values for ash, moisture, vitamin A (RE), or trans fat may be blank, thereby creating a need for this table. 

Note for CN4: All items with a CN Code greater than or equal to 100000 are listed in this file.  All items with a CN Code less than 100000 have an implied DATA QUALITY CONTROL VALUE= 3 (15 nutrients).




Data Quality Control Field  

This table is completed after the nutrient values for each item are reviewed. A number is then placed in the Data Quality Control Field, based on the data present, indicating which nutrient fields contain values. This file is used by the Food and Nutrition Service for tracking purposes.

	Value 1 = (12 Nutrients: Energy in Kcal, Carbohydrates, Protein, Total Fat, Total Dietary Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Sodium, Vitamin A (IU), Vitamin C, Cholesterol, Total Saturated Fat).
		(TOTAL OF 12 NUTRIENT RECORDS CONTAINING DATA)

   Value 2 = (12 Nutrients +Ash +Moisture)
	(TOTAL OF 14 NUTRIENT RECORDS CONTAINING DATA)
   
   Value 3 = (12 Nutrients +Ash +Moisture +Vitamin A RE)
	(TOTAL OF 15 NUTRIENT RECORDS CONTAINING DATA)

   Value 4 = (12 Nutrients +Ash +Moisture +Vitamin A RE +Trans Fat)
	(TOTAL OF 16 NUTRIENT RECORDS CONTAINING DATA)


DATA QUALITY CONTROL  (DQC)
Field Name
Type/Length
Description
CN Code
N 6
CN Code used to link items with the same food category and nutrient values.
Include Line Number
N 3
Unique sequence number for food include items (This field will be blank if the item is not contained within the FINCL file)
CN Subcode
N 7
Unique sequence number for food subcode items (This field will be blank if the item is not contained within the FSUBDES file)
Manufacturer Name 
A 80
The manufacturer name
Product Code 
A 15
The item product code defined by the manufacturer or the UPC code.  The UPC code is identified with the prefix UPC.
Data Quality Control Field                         
A 2
(values 1, 2, 3 or 4)
1 =(12 Nutrients: Energy Kcal, Carbohydrates, Protein, Total Fat, Total Dietary Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Sodium, Vitamin A (IU), Vitamin C, Cholesterol, Total Saturated Fat)
2 =(12 Nutrients +Ash +Moisture)
3 =(12 Nutrients +Ash +Moisture +Vitamin A RE)
4 =(12 Nutrients +Ash +Moisture +Vitamin A RE +Trans Fat)
Date Added
D
Date record was first placed into this file.
Last Modified
D
Date of last record revision.
Status
A 1
Active (a) or 
discontinued  (d)

Archive of Comments and Notes from Previous Releases

CN11 Release: A record with a date after 3/1/2006 in the date added field is a new record in the CN11 release. A record with a date after 3/1/2006 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN9 release.  All products marked for deletion in CN10 have been removed (108 products).

Note for CN11: All Standard Reference 19 updates have been applied to the CN SREF products included in this release.  Eleven (11) SREF product deletes have been processed in this release.  All CN SREF products were updated to match the descriptions (long description and abbreviated description) in SR19.  A mass updated to all CN SREF items in the FDES, NUTVAL, and WEIGHTS tables was performed to ensure consistency between the two databases.  The MSFTCHG File was marked as discontinued in CN10 and has been removed from CN11.  All Data Quality Control values were re-computed to include the Trans Fat optional nutrient (Nutrient code 605).  The field length for FDES.Descriptor, FINCL.Include_Description, FSUBDES.Subcode_Descriptor, and BUYGD.Food_Description was increased from 200 to 255 characters.

CN10 Release: A record with a date after 10/1/2005 in the date added field is a new record in the CN10 release. A record with a date after 10/1/2005 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN9 release.

Note for CN10: All Standard Reference 18 updates have been applied to the CN SREF products included in this release.  SREF product deletes have been processed in this release.  143 products from SR18 have been added in this release.  All CN SREF products were updated to match the descriptions (long description and abbreviated description) in SR18.  The MSFTCHG File is marked as discontinued in CN10 and will be removed from CN11.  Trans Fat has been added as an optional nutrient (Nutrient code 605).  All SR18 trans fat data within the CN database with Source Code=1 was updated.  All Chefs Challenge recipes have been removed.  Please note the addition of a special note on page 12 of this document regarding Value Type Codes: the Value Type Code is intended for internal use only and should not be displayed to software users.  A new Data Quality Control value (4) has been added; this value will be used when all 12 required nutrient values and all 4 optional nutrient values have been provided. The following field names were changed: Sequence to Weights_Sequence_Line_Number in the WEIGHTS TABLE and Include_Line_Number to Include_Sequence_Number in the FINCL Table.

CN9 Release: A record with a date after 7/15/2004 in the date added field is a new record in the CN9 release. A record with a date after 7/15/2004 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN8 release.

Note for CN9:  All Standard Reference 17 updates have been applied to the CN SREF products included in this release.  SREF product deletes have been processed in this release.  Please note in CN9, that the USDA Recipes were updated which affects the information in the Food Description Table, the Weights Table and the Nutrient Value Table of CN9.  Five recipes have been added and two have been removed.  Most of the nutrient data for the recipe items have been changed.  

CN8 Release: A record with a date after 9/01/2002 in the date added field is a new record in the CN8 release. A record with a date after 9/01/2002 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN7 release.

Note for CN8:  All Standard Reference 15 updates have been applied to the CN SREF products included in this release.  One new Standard Reference Item has been added. 

CN7 Release: A record with a date after 5/01/2002 in the date added field is a new record in the CN7 release. A record with a date after 5/01/2002 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN7 release.

Note for CN7:  The Standard Reference products included in this release have not been updated, due to a change in the Standard Reference format.  Some New Standard Reference Items have been added.

CN6 Release: A record with a date after 5/16/2001 in the date added field is a new record in the CN6 release. A record with a date after 5/16/2001 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN6 release.

CN5 Release: A record with a date after 5/20/2000 in the date added field is a new record in the CN5 release. A record with a date after 5/20/2000 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN5 release.

Note for CN5:  This release has re-activated some of the records that were marked as deleted in CN4  this affects the FDES, GMWT, NUTVAL tables.  279 products were re-activated.  Future releases of CN will not re-activate deleted products, but will assign them new CN codes if needed.

CN4 Release: A record with a date after 7/07/1998 in the date added field is a new record in the CN4 release. A record with a date after 7/07/1998 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN4 release.

CN3 Release: A record with a date after 7/20/1995 in the date added field is a new record in the CN3 release. A record with a date after 7/20/1995 in the last modified field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN3 release.

Note for CN3: The CN code has been changed in all files from N5 to N6, and all tables now contain the fields Date_Added, Last_Modified and Status. All dates are represented as MM/DD/YYYY and are enclosed in ~ (tilde) symbols. A new Data Quality Control table (DQC) has been added to this release and additional value type codes have been added to the NUTVAL Table to describe the type of value for a nutrient.

CN2 Release: A record with a date after 1/31/94 in the "date added" field is a new record with the CN2 release. A record with a date after 1/31/94 in the "last modified" field contains a revised value in one or more of its fields with the CN2 release.  

Note for CN2:  A new field in the FOOD DESCRIPTION file--Form of Food--has been added to this file in the CN2 release. Form of food identifies whether a brand food requires additional preparation before serving (as purchased) or does not require any additional preparation before serving (as served).
The abbreviated descriptions for standardized recipes are the descriptions, which are listed on each recipe card.  A new field--Nutrient Unit--has been added to the NUTDES file.  The Nutrient Unit identifies the measure (calories, grams, milligrams, International Units, etc.) for reporting a nutrient in the Nutrient Values file.  The Buying Guide Code in the BUYGD file has replaced the Market Code.
2