Chinese food composition tables An annotated translation of the 1981 edition published by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing

Abstract

The Chinese Food Composition Tables, representing four decades of effort by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing, are presented in annotated translation with extensive supplementary material. Nutrient data for more than 600 foods include edible portion; proximate composition; energy, major mineral, trace element, vitamin, and cholesterol content; and amino acid and fatty acid profile. Categories of foods represented include cereals; legumes; roots, tubers, and stems; cultivated and wild vegetables; melons, squashes, and gourds; fungi and algae; fruits; nuts; meats, poultry, and eggs; dairy foods; fishes; mollusks, crustaceans, and other invertebrates; reptiles and amphibians; alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages; condiments; confections; and infant foods. Foods are identified by English common name and Latin scientific name, and are further described by habitat (for water-dwelling creatures), cooking and preparation method, location of sample collection or analysis, and other characteristics. Original Chinese descriptions of foods are presented in Pinyin transliteration. Textual material and footnotes from the original Chinese document are translated in full. Linking codes are provided for readers having access to the original Chinese version. The supplementary material is included to expand the utility of this document. Detailed three-language indexes (English-Latin-Chinese) allow ready identification and location of food items throughout all tables. Analytical methods used to obtain the data are described. Information is provided on the retention of vitamins in cooked foods, Chinese market units of weight and measure, and cooking and preparation techniques. A concluding discussion addresses the applicability and limitations of the tables, indicates statistical approaches to the data, and places this document in perspective with other food composition tables.