292 Introduction to Human Nutrition
benefi t. In most cases, consumers perceive products
carrying certain claims to be better for their health and
well-being. Nutrient profi ling is the fi rst step towards
a possible health claim. At present, different systems
for the setting of nutrient profi ling range from a simple
algorithm to a scientifi cally complicated approach. It
is diffi cult to develop a single system that refl ects both
the nutrition contribution of a food or food group to
the diet and the effect of the matrix on nutrient bio-
availability. This discussion is continuing.
Further reading
Brussard JH, Löwik MRH, Steingrímsdóttir L, Møller A, Kearney J,
De Henauw S, Becker W. A European food consumption survey
method – conclusions and recommendations. European Journal
of Clinical Nutrition 2002; 56 (Suppl. 2): S89–S94.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Expert
Consultation on Nutrition Indicators for Biodiversity 1. Food
Composition. Rome, 2008.
Greenfi eld H, Southgate DAT. Food Composition Data. Production.
Management and Use. Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, Rome, 2003
Greenfi eld H. 1990. Uses and abuses of food composition data.
Food Australia 42 (8) (Suppl.).
Gry S, Holden J. Sampling strategies to assure representative values
in food composition data. Food, Nutrition and Agriculture 1994;
12 : 12–20.
Klensin JC. INFOODS Food Composition Data Interchange
Handbook. United Nations University Press, Tokyo, 1992.
Ireland J, Van Erp-Baart AMJ, Charrondière UR, Møller A, Smithers
G, Trichopoulou A. Selection of food classifi cation system and
food composition database for future food consumption surveys.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002; 56 (Suppl. 2):
S33–S45.
Rand WM, Pennington JAT, Murphy SP, Klensin JC. Compiling
Data for Food Composition Data Bases. United Nations University
Press, Tokyo, 1991.
Southgate DAT. Food composition tables and nutritional databases.
In: Garrow JS, James WPT, Ralph A, eds. Human Nutrition and
Dietetics, 10th edn, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 2000:
303–310.
Truswell AS, Bateson DJ, Madafi glio KC, Pennington JA, Rand WM,
Klensin IC. (1991) INFOODS guidelines for describing foods: a
systematic approach to describing foods to facilitate interna-
tional exchange of food composition data. Journal of Food
Composition and Analysis 1991; 4 : 18–38.
Verger Ph, Ireland J, Møller A, Abravicius JA, Den Henauw S, Naska
A. Improvement of the comparability of dietary intake assess-
ments using currently available individual food consumption
surveys. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56 (Suppl. 2):
S18–S24, 2002.
Websites
Codex Alimentarius Commission: http://www.codexalimentarius.
net
Eurocode2: http://www.eurofi r.org/eurocode
EuroFIR: http://www.eurofi r.net
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
http://www.fao.org
INFOODS: United Nations University of International Food Data
Systems Project: http://www.fao.org/infoods/directory
LanguaL: http://www.langual.org
United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient
Databank: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata