Abstract

Numerous tables of food composition have been compiled since the 1890s to meet the needs for nutrient data by nutritionists, researchers, and consumers. Early tables included values for protein, fat, carbohydrate, and calories. By 1945, values for several vitamins and minerals were listed in tables of food composition. The contents of food composition tables have been updated and expanded as laboratory procedures for analyzing nutrients have been improved. A trend toward increased specificity for most nutrient classifications has resulted in consideration of up to one hundred nutritional components in the development of nutrient data bases. Tables of food composition have varied in number of food items, number of nutrients, and classification schemes. Food-group designations have been used in some tables as a technique to categorize data for similar food items. Computer-stored nutrient data bases tend to vary in much the same manner as printed tables of food composition. Computer-assisted diagnostic procedures for editing input data for validity and verifying reasonable relationships among nutrient data have been developed to detect data inconsistencies. As data for new food products are included and the effects of food processing methods are determined, food composition tables and computer-stored nutrient data bases are expected to become more comprehensive, reliable, and suitable for various uses.