Enhancing USDA's Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies with Branded Food Product Label Data

Monitoring the dietary intake of Americans requires an accurate and complete database of foods and beverages and their nutrients. The average grocery store in the U.S. contains more than 40,000 items. There are over 20,000 new food and beverage products launched each year and continuing reformulations of existing products. Many of these changes are the result of public health initiatives to reduce intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. Label data in electronic format are being obtained through the Partnership for Public Health: Branded Food Products Database. The partnership is composed of USDA/ARS, the International Life Sciences Institute North America and the Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership Foundation. The label information will include the manufacturer and brand, the Nutrition Facts Panel data, ingredients, serving size description and weight in grams, and dates for when a product is available, when it is discontinued, and when it is changed. Incorporating branded food product ...