Food Composition Data Bank
 |
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
DCS (Data Center System) – is software for interchanging of data in the frame of sub-regional network CEECFOODS (Central and Eastern European Countries Food Data System).
More information about software is 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
Intergovernmental Programme of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic 05T04: National Development Programme. Sustainability of the Sub-regional Database Centre FAO-CEECFOODS
Since 1997 the Slovak Food Composition Data Bank has been acting as the Food Composition Database Centre of the sub-regional cooperation network on food composition CEECFOODS (Central and Eastern European Countries Food Data System). This network associates food data banks of 13 countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Russia, Armenia, Serbia, Georgia). Currently the main objective of the centre is technical support and professional advising to less developed CEE countries (Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, etc.). The professional advising is realized by organizing short training visits, consultancy and providing scholarships to experts from developing countries for attendance of specialized training courses. Technical support is mediated by providing financial support (e.g. editing food composition tables, hardware purchase) and unified software to the national database institution.
Since 2003 this annual project is funded by Ministry of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic.
EuroFIR: Project of the 6th Framework Programme
EuroFIR
Since 1st January 2005 the Slovak Food Composition Data Bank is participating in the 6th FP project EuroFIR (European Food Information Resource Network).
It is a world-leading European Network of Excellence on Food Composition Databank systems and it is a partnership between 49 partners (universities, research institutes and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs)) from 26 countries. EuroFIR aims to develop and integrate a comprehensive, coherent and validated databank providing a single, authoritative source of food composition data for Europe. The project is planned for period 2005-2009, but there is a strong interest and effort of the partners to continue subsequently in the food composition activities by a new legal entity under the name "European Food Information Resource Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif" (abbreviated “EuroFIR AISBL”). The new type organisation EuroFIR AISBL will be self funded after 2009. More information and released documents are available at http://www.eurofir.net and www.eurofir.org.
CURRENT NATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Management and Actualisation of Food Composition Database.
Updating of the Database Management System of the Slovak Food Composition Data Bank
Initial database is in general crucial core of food composition data bank. It includes all gathered information, individual analytical and literature data as well as related documentation (meta data). Such initial database is an essential starting point for updating of user database created by statistical aggregation and compilation of the initial database. The user database is important for different areas (recipe calculation, nutrient intake assessment, food labelling, etc.) and usually applied by means of software.
The main goal this project is prepare standardised system for updating the initial database. This procedure goes hand in hand with a contemporary line of the standardisation food composition systems in Europe (e.g. FAO/INFOODS recommendations and EuroFIR network).
SERVICES
| Service | Price including VAT 19% 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 € |
| Alimenta 4.3 Database of energy expenditure during various physical activities, balance of energy intake and energy expenditure | 1185 € |
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
