Food Composition Resource List for Professionals

November 2013

This publication is a collection of resources on the topic of food composition for 

professionals. The resources on this list are offered in a variety of information formats: 

databases, composition tables, books, journals, conference proceedings, and materials 

available on the Internet. Because some food composition materials may not be 

regularly updated, and historical information may be of interest to many professionals, 

some materials date back to the late-1960’s and ‘70’s.

Materials included in this list may be available to borrow from the National Agricultural 

Library (NAL). Lending and copy service information is provided at the end of this 

document. If you are not eligible for direct borrowing privileges, check with your local 

library on how to borrow through interlibrary loan. Materials cannot be purchased from 

NAL. Contact information is provided if you wish to purchase any applicable materials 

on this list.

This Resource List is available from the Food and Nutrition Information Center’s (FNIC) 

Web site at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/pubs/bibs/gen/foodcomp.pdf. A complete list 

of FNIC publications can be found at http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/resource-lists. 

Table of Contents:

I. USDA Databases and Publications

A. General Databases

B. Special Interest Databases

C. Other

II. Other U.S. Databases and Publications

III. International Food Composition Resources

IV. Books and Miscellaneous Publications

V. Conference Proceedings

VI. Journals and Newsletters

A. Selected Journal Articles

VII. Web sites

A. Analytical Methods

B. Nutrient Content of Foods

C. Miscellaneous Resources

VIII. Contacts for Assistance
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I. USDA Databases and Publications

The following databases and publications are available on the Web sites listed below 

with each item. For a listing of current U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient 

Data Laboratory (NDL) food composition databases, select “Products & Services” from 

the NDL Home Page: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata

A. General Databases 

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/sr (updated annually; as of August 

2013, the latest release is 26)

Search page: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov

Description: Searches nutrient data on about 8,500 different food items. Users can 

search for a single food item, or generate reports for any nutrient in the database, 

sorted either alphabetically or by quantity per common household measure. Users can 

select up to 3 nutrients, for either: all food groups, a single food group, or multiple food 

groups.

Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID) 

Web site: http://dietarysupplementdatabase.usda.nih.gov/ 

Description: Provides estimated levels of ingredients in dietary supplement products. 

Developed in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary 

Supplements. As of April 2012, the latest version is DSID-2.

Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) 

Web site: http://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/

Description: The DSLD is a joint project of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 

Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and National Library of Medicine (NLM). The 

DSLD contains the full label contents from a sample of dietary supplement products 

marketed in the U.S. 

Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Surveys

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=12089

Description: Contains foods, nutrient values and weights used to analyze data from the 

What We Eat in America survey, the dietary intake component of the National Health 

and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Updated biannually; as of April 2013 the 

latest version is 5.0.
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Ground Beef Calculator 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=13933

Description: Calculates nutrient information for retail ground beef products containing 

5% - 30% fat content. This is contained within the SR search program described 

above.

 

Nutritive Value of Foods, Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72 (HG-72)

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=6282

Description: Contains nutrient data on over 1,200 foods. Last published in 2002, it is no 

longer available in print, but can be viewed and/or downloaded in PDF format.

B. Special Interest Databases 

USDA Database for the Choline Content of Common Foods, Release 2 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/choline

USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods, Release 3.1

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/flavonoid

 

USDA Database for the Isoflavone Content of Selected Foods, Release 2.0

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/isoflav

USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=5843

 

USDA National Fluoride Database of Selected Beverages and Foods, Release 2

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/fluoride

Oxalic Acid Content of Selected Vegetables 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=9444

 
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C. Other 

 

USDA Food Composition Classics 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=9447

Description: Includes links to several older publications and handbooks describing the 

derivation of calorie factors, nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors, retention factors and 

others. Also includes the original tables on several food components, which have been 

incorporated into the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, such 

as the “Provisional Table on the Vitamin K Content of Foods,” “Sugar Content of 

Selected Foods,” “Provisional Table on the Vitamin D Content of Foods,” “USDA-NCC 

Carotenoid Database for U.S. Foods,” and “Selected Foods Containing Trans Fatty 

Acids.”

USDA Table of Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=9448

Description: Provides cooking yields data for meat and poultry. Includes updates to 

information which was previously printed in the USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 102 

Food Yields (AH-102) in 1975. Data in the updated table are measures of changes in 

meat and poultry weights resulting from moisture and fat losses during cooking.

 

USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=9448

Description: Provides factors for calculating nutrient retention of 26 vitamins, minerals, 

and alcohol during food preparation.

Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 2005 

H.A.B. Hiza, L. Bente, and T. Fungwe

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Home 

Economics Research Report No. 58. Washington, D.C. 2008. 

Full text (PDF|1.5 MB):

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodSupply/FoodSupply2005Report.pdf

 

Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 1909-2004: A Summary Report 

H.A.B. Hiza and L. Bente

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Home 

Economics Research Report No. 57. Washington, D.C. 2007.

Full text (PDF|295 KB):

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/foodsupply/FoodSupply1909-2004Report.pdf
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II. Other U.S. Databases and Publications 

Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 19th edition

J.A.T. Pennington and J. Spungen

Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2009. 480 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX551 .P385

ISBN: 0781781345

Nutrient Value of Alaska Native Foods 

Elizabeth Nobmann

Anchorage, AK: Alaska Area Native Health Service, 1993, 31 pp. 

Full text: http://consortiumlibrary.org/aml/publications/akfood.pdf

 

III. International Food Composition Resources 

Many international food composition tables, previously published in book form, are now 

available on the Internet; this section includes both those resources available on the 

Internet, as well as those in book form. Many Web sites are in English, though a few 

are available only in the language of the country.

Two organizations have compiled lists of international food composition resources and 

Web sites: one is INFOODS, and the other is LanguaL.

Please note: The following is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all available 

international food composition resources; both INFOODS and LanguaL include some of 

the resources listed individually here, in addition to many others.

 

International Food Composition Tables Directory

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, International Network 

of Food Data Systems (INFOODS)

Web site: http://www.fao.org/infoods/infoods/tables-and-databases/en/ 

LanguaL

European Food Information Resource Network (EuroFIR)

Web site: http://www.langual.org/

Food Composition Databases: 

http://www.langual.org/langual_linkcategory.asp?CategoryID=4&Category=Food+Comp

osition

 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

Australian Food Composition Program 

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Web site:

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/nutrientables/pages/defau

lt.aspx
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Canadian Nutrient File 

Health Canada

Web site: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/index-eng.php

The Composition of Chinese Foods 

Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene. G. 

Wang, B. Parpia, and Z. Wen, Editors. 

Washington, DC: ILSI Press, 1997, 334 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX531.C662

ISBN: 0944398952

Danish Food Composition Databank 

Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute

Web site: http://www.foodcomp.dk/v7/fcdb_default.asp

EuroFIR (European Food Information Resource Network)

An international non-profit association, EuroFIR AISBL provides information on 

European food composition databases 

Web site: http://www.eurofir.net

FAO/ INFOODS density database, version 2.0. 

Charrondiere, R., Haytowitz, D., Stadlmayr, B. 2012.

E-ISBN 978-92-5-107346-9 (PDF)

Full Text: http://www.fao.org/infoods/infoods/tables-and-databases/faoinfoodsdatabases/en/

FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Database for Biodiversity - Version 2.0

(BioFoodComp2.0) 

Charrondiere, U..R, Stadlmayr, B., Rittenschober, D., Nowak, V., Nilsson, E., 

Burlingame, B.

ISBN 978-92-5-107293-6

Full Text: http://www.fao.org/infoods/infoods/tables-and-databases/faoinfoodsdatabases/en/

 
 7 

Food Composition and Nutrition Tables, 7th Edition

S.W. Souci, W. Fachmann, and H. Kraut

Stuttgart, Germany: MedPharm Scientific Publishers, 2008, 1364 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX551.S735 2008 

ISBN: 9780849341410

Web site: http://www.sfk-online.net/cgi-bin/sfkstart.mysql?language=english

 

Food Composition Database of South Africa 

Medical Research Council of South Africa

Web site: http://www.mrc.ac.za/FoodComp/

Food Composition Table for Use in Africa 

U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service; Food and 

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Food Consumption and Planning 

Branch. 1968. 306 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX551.N3

Web site: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X6877E/X6877E00.htm

West African Food Composition Table (2012)

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, International Network 

of Food Data Systems (INFOODS)

Web site: http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2698b/i2698b00.pdf

Food Composition Table for Use in East Asia 

U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, National Institutes of Health; Food 

and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Food Policy and Nutrition Division. 

1972. 334 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX551.F687

Web site: http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/X6878E/X6878E00.htm

Food Composition Tables for the Near East

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Food Policy and 

Nutrition Division; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Division. 

Rome, Italy: FAO, 1982, 265 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX531.F61

ISBN: 9251012776

Web site: http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6879e/x6879e00.HTM

Irish Food Composition Database 

University College, Cork, Ireland, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science

Web site: http://www.ucc.ie/en/ifcdb/ 

 

McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoF 

IDS), 6th Summary Edition 

Food Standards Agency of the United Kingdom

Cambridge, England: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2002. 537 pp.
 8 

NAL Call Number: TX531.M332 2002 

ISBN: 0854044280

Web site: http://www.food.gov.uk/science/dietarysurveys/dietsurveys/

New Zealand (NZ) Food Composition Database 

The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd

Web site: http://www.foodcomposition.co.nz/

 

Pacific Islands Food Composition Tables, 2nd Edition 

C.A. Dignan, B. Burlingame, S. Kumar, and W. Aalbersberg

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 

Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2004, 135 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX360.O3 P33 2004

ISBN: 9251051380

Full text: http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5432e/y5432e00.HTM

Ordering Information: http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5432e/y5432e0w.htm#bm32

 

IV. Books and Miscellaneous Publications (in alphabetical order)

These publications provide information on the procedures used in the preparation of 

food composition tables and databases and also illustrate some of the issues compilers 

should be aware of when developing food composition tables and databases.

Compiling Data for Food Composition Data Bases

W.M. Rand, J.A.T. Pennington, S.P. Murphy, and J.C. Klensin

Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Press, 1991. 77 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX531.C65 1991

ISBN: 9280807722

Full text: http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80772e/80772E00.htm

 
 9 

FAO/INFOODS guidelines for checking food composition data prior to the 

publication of a user table/database, version 1.0. 2012. 

Charrondiere, R., Stadlmayr, B., Haytowitz, D., Oseredczuk, M., Ireland, J., 

Wolmarans, P., Rittenschober, D., Selley, B., Puwastien, P., Reykdal, O., Blanco, A., 

Aguinaldo, A., Ene-Obong, H., Pehrsson, P., Pascal Kouebou, C., Longvah, T., 

Guillaume, K.S.A., Champagne, C., Nowak, V., Wijesena-Bettoni, R.. 

Full Text: 

www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/food_composition/documents/Guidelines_data_checki

ng_02.pdf

FAO/INFOODS Guidelines for Converting Units, Denominators and Expressions 

Version 1.0 (2012)

Charrondiere, U.R., Rittenschober, D., Nowak, V., Wijesena-Bettoni, R.. Stadlmayr, B., 

Haytowitz, D., Persijn, D.

E-ISBN 978-92-5-107378-0 (PDF)

Full Text: http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/ap809e/ap809e.pdf

FAO/INFOODS Guidelines for Food Matching 

Stadlmayr, B., Wijesinha-Bettoni, R., Haytowitz, D., Rittenschober, D., Cunningham, J., 

Sobolewski, R., Eisenwagen, S., Baines, J., Probst, Y., Fitt, E., Charrondiere, R. 2012. 

Full Text: 

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/food_composition/documents/upload/INFOODS

GuidelinesforFoodMatching_version_1_2.pdf

 

Food Composition 

J.M. Holden, J.M. Harnly, and G. Beecher

In Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 10th Edition, Volume 1. 

Washington, DC: ILSI Press, 2006. 526 pp.

ISBN: 1578812003 

Food Composition Data: A User’s Perspective 

W.M. Rand, C.T. Windham, B.W. Wyse, and V.R. Young 

Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Press, 1987, 236 pp.

ISBN: 9280806335

Full text: http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80633e/80633E00.htm

 

Food Composition Data: Production, Management and Use, 2nd Edition 

H. Greenfield and D.A.T. Southgate 

Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2003, 302 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX531 .G84 2003 

ISBN: 9789251049495

Full text (Parts 1 & 2): ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/y4705e/y4705e00.pdf

Online Ordering:

http://www.fao.org/icatalog/search/dett.asp?aries_id=104617&ch_lang=en

 

Food Composition Study Guide, Volumes 1 and 2 
 10 

U.R. Charrondiere, B. Burlingame, S. Berman, and I. Elmadfa

Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2009, 224 pp. 

Description: Accompanies H. Greenfield and D.A.T. Southgate, Food Composition 

Data: Production, Management and Use (see previous). May be used for self-study or 

in conjunction with a food composition course, for evaluation or as a refresher course.

Volume 1: Questions and Exercises 

E-ISBN: 978-92-5-106366-8 (PDF) 

Full text (PDF| 2 MB): http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/ap802e/ap802e01.pdf

Volume 2: Answers 

E-ISBN: 978-92-5-106365-1 (PDF)

Full text (PDF| 2.3 MB): http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/ap802e/ap802e02.pdf

 

Identification of Food Components for INFOODS Data Interchange 

J.C. Klensin, D. Feskanich, V. Lin, A.S. Truswell, and D.A.T. Southgate

Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Press, 1989, 106 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX341.F622 Suppl. no. 16

ISBN: 928080734x

Full text: http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80734e/80734E00.htm

INFOODS Food Composition Data Interchange Handbook

J.C. Klensin

Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University Press, 1992, 170 pp.

NAL Call Number: TX531.K58 1992

ISBN: 9280807749

Full text: http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80774e/80774E00.htm

 

INFOODS Publications 

Web site: http://www.fao.org/infoods/infoods/publications/en/

 
 11 

V. Conference Proceedings

The proceedings of the following conferences contain a large volume of information on 

the development and status of food composition databases.

National Nutrient Databank Conference

Web site: http://www.nutrientdataconf.org/

Description: Held annually in the United States. A list of proceedings is available on 

the conference Web site and many can be downloaded.

International Food Data Conference

Web site: http://www.fao.org/infoods/infoods/conferences/en/

Description: Held internationally every other year. Previously called the International 

Food Data Base Conference.

Proceedings:

Quality and accessibility of food-related data: proceedings of the First International 

Food Data Base Conference (Sydney, Australia, 1993). Arlington, VA: AOAC 

International. 1995. 311 pp. 

NAL Call Number: TX345.I634 1993

The Second International Food Data Base Conference: Food Composition 

Research – The Broader Context. Lahti, Finland, August 28-30, 1995. Food 

Chemistry.1996; 57(1): 127-131.

NAL Call Number: TX501.F6 

Proceedings of the Third International Food Data Base Conference: Back to Basics. 

Rome, Italy, July 5-7, 1999. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2000;13(4): 

283-762. 

NAL Call Number: TX501.J68 

Proceedings to subsequent conferences are published in special issues of the 

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (NAL Call Number: TX501.J68).

International Conference on Diet and Activity Methods

Web site: http://www.icdam9australia.com/about_ICDAM.html

Description: Held internationally every third year. Archives and proceedings available 

on the conference Web site. Previously called the International Conference on Dietary 

Assessment Methods.

VI. Journals and Newsletters (in alphabetical order) 

 

Many journals or newsletters are now available on the internet. Depending on the 

arrangements made by your organization, you may have access to full text articles. 
 12 

Otherwise reprints can be obtained by traditional methods.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

American Society for Nutrition

Web site: http://www.ajcn.org/

British Food Journal

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Web site: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mcb/070

 

Cereal Foods World 

AACC International

Web site: http://www.aaccnet.org/

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

Nature Publishing Group

Web site: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/index.html

Food Chemistry 

Elsevier

Web site: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03088146

Food Technology 

Institute of Food Technologists

Web site: http://members.ift.org/IFT/Pubs/FoodTechnology/

 

Journal of the American Dietetic Association 

American Dietetic Association; Elsevier

Web site: http://www.adajournal.org/

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 

American Chemical Society

Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/journals/jafcau/index.html

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 

International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS); Elsevier 

Web site: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08891575

Journal of Food Science 

Institute of Food Technologists

Web site: http://members.ift.org/IFT/Pubs/JournalofFoodSci/

The Journal of Nutrition 

American Society for Nutrition

Web site: http://jn.nutrition.org/
 13 

Nutrition Action Health Letter 

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Web site: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/index.htm

Nutrition and Food Science 

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Web site: http://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=nfs

Nutrition Today 

Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins

Web site: www.nutritiontodayonline.com/

Trends in Food Science & Technology 

Elsevier 

Web site: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09242244

 

 

A. Selected Journal Articles (in reverse chronological order) 

Various articles and presentations by the staff of USDA’s Nutrient Data Laboratory are 

available on its Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Aboutus/docs.htm?docid=6253.

USDA Monitors Levels of Added Sodium in Processed and Prepared Foods.

Holden J.M., Pehrsson P.R., Nickle M., Haytowitz D.B., Exler J., Showell B., Williams J., 

Thomas R., Lemar L.E., Gebhardt S.E. 36th Annual National Nutrient Databank 

Proceedings, Procedia Food Science, 2:60-67: 2013. 

Full Text: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211601X13000114
 14 

ARS, USDA updates food sampling strategies to keep pace with demographic 

shifts. Pehrsson P.R., Perry, C., Daniel, M. 36th Annual National Nutrient Databank 

Proceedings, Procedia Food Science 2:52-59, 2013. 

Full Text: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211601X13000102

Recent trends in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in the U.S. Thomas, R.G., 

Pehrsson, P.R., Ahuja, J.K.C., Smieja, E., Miller, K.B. Procedia Food Sci. 2:20-26, 

2013.. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211601X13000060

 

USDA Food and Nutrient Databases Provide the Infrastructure for Food and 

Nutrition Research, Policy, and Practice. Jaspreet K.C. Ahuja, Alanna J. Moshfegh,

Joanne M. Holden, and Ellen Harris. Journal of Nutrition. 143:241S-249S, 2013. 

 

USDA’s Nutrient Databank System – A tool for handling data from diverse sources. 

 D.B. Haytowitz, L.E. Lemar, P.R. Pehrsson. Journal of Food Composition and 

Analysis, 22(5): 433-441. 2009.

Full text:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Articles/JFCA22_433-441.pdf

 

Applications of food composition data: data sources and considerations for use. 

J.A.T. Pennington. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 21(Suppl. 1): S3-S12. 

2008.

 

The National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program: a decade of progress. 

D.B. Haytowitz, P.R. Pehrsson, and J.M. Holden. Journal of Food Composition and 

Analysis, 21(Supp. 1): S94-S102. 2008.

Full text:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Articles/JFCA21_S94-S102.pdf

Food composition data: the foundation of dietetic practice and research.

J.A.T. Pennington, et al. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107(12): 2105-

2113. 2007.

 

Identifying food components: INFOODS tagnames and other component 

identification systems. U.R. Charrondiere and B. Burlingame. Journal of Food 

Composition and Analysis, 20(8): 713-716. 2007.

 

The history of food composition databases. S.M. Church. 

Nutrition Bulletin, 31(1): 15-20. 2006.
 15 

Quality-control materials in the USDA National Food and Nutrient Analysis 

Program (NFNAP). K.M. Phillips, et al. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 

384(6): 1341-1355. 2006.

Full text:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Articles/AnalBioaanlChem_QC

Paper.pdf

Fostering quality data in food composition databases: visions for the future. B. 

Burlingame. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 17(3-4): 251-258. 2004.

Historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables. A.M. Mayer. 

British Food Journal, 99(6):207-211. 1997.

From the composition of foods using chemical analysis...to micronutrients and 

beyond. A.F. Walker. British Journal of Nutrition, 78(suppl.):S73-S80. 1997.

VII. Web Sites

A. Analytical Methods 

 

AOAC (Association of Analytical Communities) International 

Web site: http://www.aoac.org

 

AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society) 

Web site: http://www.aocs.org/tech/methods.cfm

USDA Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/fcmdl

 

B. Nutrient Content of Foods 

These Web sites allow you to look up the nutrient content of various foods. Many are 

based on the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, but may 

contain additional data added by their developers and provide various presentations 

allowing the user to assess his/her diet.

 

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26 

USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Nutrient Data Laboratory

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/sr (updated annually)

Search page: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ 

Description: Allows users to look up foods in the latest release of the USDA National 

Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

 

What's In The Foods You Eat Search Tool, 3.0

USDA, ARS, Food Surveys Research Group
 16 

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=17032

Description: Offers nutrient profiles for 13,000 foods commonly eaten in the U.S. 

Based on the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies used to process and 

analyze What We Eat in America, NHANES dietary intake data. Underlying food 

composition data are from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard 

Reference.

SuperTracker 

USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

Web site: https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx 

Description: Uses an online assessment tool to assess diet quality and physical activity 

status based on principles of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Also provides 

related nutrition messages and links to nutrient and physical activity information. 

Nutrition Analysis Tool 2.0 (NAT) 

University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Web site: http://www.nat.uiuc.edu/mainnat.html

Description: Analyzes nutrient information in a variety of foods using a free, Webbased program. Database is composed of foods from USDA Agricultural Handbook #8 

and information from food companies. 

 

NutritionData

Condé Nast Digital 

Web site: http://www.nutritiondata.com

Description: Computes the nutrient content of foods or recipes, and lets the user track 

and share food consumption data. Nutrient information comes from USDA's National 

Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and is supplemented by listings provided by 

restaurants and food manufacturers.

 

CalorieKing Food Database 

CalorieKing Wellness Solutions, Inc.

Web site: http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ 

Description: Contains nutrient data on generic, brand-name, and fast-food items for 

more than 50,000 foods. Developed by the publishers of The Doctor's Pocket Calorie, 

Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. 

 

C. Miscellaneous Resources 

 

Food Composition 

USDA, National Agricultural Library, Food and Nutrition Information Center

Web site: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/food-composition 

Description: Lists multiple food composition resources by topic area, including those 

from USDA’s Nutrient Data Laboratory and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service Food 

Surveys Research Group, in addition to other resources on individual nutrients, 

international food composition resources, and information on individual foods.

 
 17 

 

Nutrient Changes Over Time: Frequently Asked Questions 

USDA, National Agricultural Library, Food and Nutrition Information Center

Web site: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nutrientchanges

Description: Answers questions related to changes in nutrient content of crops over 

time, including the effect of soil and other agricultural factors on nutrient content. 

 

 

VIII. Contacts for Assistance

Food and Nutrition Information Center

National Agricultural Library, ARS, USDA

10301 Baltimore Avenue, Room 105

Beltsville, MD 20705

Phone: (301) 504-5414

Fax: (301) 504-6409

Contact: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/contact

Web site: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov

 

Food companies, grocery chains, and restaurant franchises – Many companies have

the nutrient and energy (caloric) content of their products on their web sites. Contact 

the company’s consumer affairs department for other information on their products. 

Check food labels for addresses and Web sites.

Nutrient Data Laboratory 

Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center

USDA-ARS

10300 Baltimore Avenue

Building 005, Room 107, BARC-West

Beltsville, MD 20705

Phone: (301) 504-0630

Fax: (301) 504-0632

Contact: http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/docs.htm?docid=4445

Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata

This resource list was compiled by David Haytowitz, M.Sc., Nutritionist, Nutrient Data 

Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS, USDA.

Acknowledgement is given to the following FNIC reviewers:

Sara Wilson, MS, RD, Nutrition Information Specialist

Locate additional FNIC publications at http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/resourcelists.
 18 

Food and Nutrition Information Center

Agricultural Research Service, USDA

National Agricultural Library, Room 108

10301 Baltimore Avenue

Beltsville, MD 20705-2351

Phone: 301-504-5719

Fax: 301-504-6409

TTY: 301-504-6856

Contact: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/contact 

Web site: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) provides lending and photocopying services to 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees. Non-USDA users can obtain 

materials from NAL through the interlibrary lending services of their local, corporate, or 

university library. For further information on NAL’s document delivery services visit their 

Web site at http://www.nal.usda.gov/nal-services/request-library-materials.

For questions on document delivery services please call 301-504-5717 or submit a 

question at http://www.nal.usda.gov/ask-question-3. 

The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication (or page) is for the 

information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official 

endorsement or approval by the USDA or the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of 

any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.

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assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center

at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 800-632-9992 

(voice) or 202-401-0216 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.