Food Surveys Research Group Research Articles

Discontinued food codes resource for Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies 2019–2020

The Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) is USDA’s application database used for analysis of dietary intake from What We Eat in America (WWEIA), the dietary interview component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Food codes are added and discontinued with each two-year release of FNDDS. A discontinued codes resource was first developed in 2012 to archive the food codes no longer used, provide the rationale for discontinuation and, where applicable, a link to a different FNDDS code. This research details the Discontinued Food Codes between FNDDS 2017–2018 and FNDDS 2019–2020, the fifth discontinued codes resource release. More than 1800 discontinued codes are included, which is comparable to the FNDDS 2017–2018 and double the FNDDS 2015–2016 releases. More than 75 % of these codes are consolidated into similar FNDDS food codes. This highlights the continued focus on incorporating generic food codes in FNDDS that reflect the foods Americans consume. A few highly reported food codes representing more than one product were expanded. This resource is beneficial to those who use FNDDS and researchers who conduct trend analysis using WWEIA, NHANES. The discontinued codes resource can be downloaded from the Food Surveys Research Group website at www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg.

What we eat in America food categories and changes between survey cycles

Detailed analysis of food and beverage consumption of the U.S. population is limited, yet critical for developing food guidance programs and for dietary surveillance. The What We Eat in America (WWEIA) Food Categories, intended for use with data from WWEIA, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS), allow foods and beverages consumed to be summarized by food category. A new version is produced with each 2-year release cycle of WWEIA, NHANES and FNDDS. The objective of this project is to present the WWEIA Food Categories and describe how updates to FNDDS affect the WWEIA Food Categories and potential analysis between survey cycles. The WWEIA Food Categories arrange all foods and beverages reported in WWEIA into 150+ unique categories, each with a 4-digit number and description. Each FNDDS food code is linked to a category. Beginning with 2011–2012 and continuing through 2013–2014, updates to FNDDS focus on increasing the variety of food and beverage codes. A new version of the WWEIA Food Categories plus a summary of changes is available on the Food Surveys Research Group website and can readily be used by other researchers.

New, publicly available flavonoid data products: Valuable resources for emerging science

Until recently, databases of the flavonoid composition of foods have been lacking, limiting the ability to assess dietary intakes. The objectives of this study are to describe new, publicly available flavonoid-related data products and apply them to assess flavonoid intakes and dietary sources of flavonoids in the U.S. population. Products currently available are the Provisional Flavonoid Addendum, a database of 29 individual flavonoid values for 7174 USDA food codes; the Flavonoid Intake Data Files, which are the result of applying the Addendum to dietary data from What We Eat in America, NHANES; and a set of tables describing flavonoid intakes in the U.S. population by selected sociodemographic characteristics. Mean intake of flavonoids by individuals age 2+ years was 214mg, with flavan-3-ols accounting for 81% of the total. Taking into account frequency of consumption and amounts consumed, the top food/beverage sources of total flavonoids and each flavonoid class were tea (total flavonoids, 78%; flavan-3-ols, 93%; flavonols, 38%), 100% citrus juice (flavanones, 61%), soy-based protein powders (isoflavones, 29%), berries (anthocyanidins, 27%), and mixed dishes (flavones, 24%). These new flavonoid-related products, which may be downloaded from the Food Surveys Research Group website at www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg, are valuable tools that will enable the research community to conduct more comprehensive investigations concerning relationships between flavonoid intake and health.

Usual Intakes of Flavonoids: Estimates from What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007–2010

Usual intakes are estimates of the long‐term average daily consumption of foods, food components, or nutrients. Despite a vast number of studies suggesting favorable effects of dietary flavonoids on human health, usual intakes of flavonoids have never before (to our knowledge) been determined. Recent release of a comprehensive database of the flavonoid content of foods has made possible the calculation of usual flavonoid intakes. The purpose of this study was to ascertain and describe distributions of usual intakes of flavonoids (total and 6 classes) in the U.S. population. Intake data collected in What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007–2010 from 17,892 individuals were analyzed. Day 1 and day 2 flavonoid intakes were estimated using Flavonoid Values for USDA Survey Foods and Beverages 2007–2010. For anthocyanidins, flavan‐3‐ols, flavanones, flavones, and isoflavones, the two‐part National Cancer Institute approach for estimating the probability of consumption on a day and the amount consumed (which assumes a correlation between the two) was used. For total flavonoids and flavonols, it was assumed that at least a minimal amount is consumed every day by everyone (i.e., probability of consumption = 1). For individuals age ≥1 year, median usual intake of total flavonoids was 117.18 mg/day. Estimates at the 5th, 25th, 75th, and 95th percentiles were 17.01 mg, 55.37 mg, 236.09 mg, and 595.26 mg, respectively, indicating a positively skewed distribution. Due to high concentrations of flavonoids in certain foods, positively skewed distributions were also observed for all flavonoid classes. In descending order by weight, usual median intake of flavan‐3‐ols was 57.76 mg; flavonols, 14.38 mg; flavanones, 7.02 mg; anthocyanidins, 6.70 mg; flavones, 0.62 mg; and isoflavones, 0.17 mg. On an average day in 2007–2010, the likelihood of consuming the episodically consumed flavonoid classes (i.e., anthocyanidins, flavan‐3‐ols, flavanones, flavones, and isoflavones) ranged from 94% for flavan‐3‐ols to 39% for isoflavones. Tables describing usual intakes of flavonoids (total, class, and 29 individual flavonoids) by selected sociodemographic variables will become available in 2017 on the Food Surveys Research Group web site (www.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg). This novel information will add to the body of knowledge concerning flavonoid intake and thus facilitate the eventual establishment of recommendations regarding safe and adequate dietary intakes of these beneficial compounds.Support or Funding InformationARS, USDA

Rhodes D.G., Adler M.E., Clemens J.C., LaComb R.P., Moshfegh A.J. Consumption of pizza: what we eat in America, NHANES 2007-2010. Food Surveys Research Group Dietary Data Brief No. 11. February 2014.

Rhodes D.G., Adler M.E., Clemens J.C., LaComb R.P., Moshfegh A.J. Consumption of pizza: what we eat in America, NHANES 2007-2010. Food Surveys Research Group Dietary Data Brief No. 11. February 2014.

Capturing sodium reduction efforts in What We Eat in America, NHANES (384.6)

The Institute of Medicine report, Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States, recommended that Federal agencies should ensure and enhance monitoring and surveillance relative to sodium (Na) intake measurement and Na content of foods. This presentation highlights initiatives undertaken to assure that the Na reduction efforts are reflected in dietary intake data collected in What We Eat in America, NHANES. A comprehensive review of the USDA Automated Multiple‐Pass Method (AMPM) began in 2008. Questions to elicit specific details for 2/3 of the foods/beverages reported by respondents have been updated as necessary with attention to Na. The survey database of foods/beverages has expanded by 20 % (>1300 items) since 2009‐10 with increased specificity about foods that impact Na content. Identification of ~125 “sentinel foods”, select foods being monitored as primary indicators for assessing potential change in Na content, was completed in collaboration with other government agencies. Results from the AMPM Validation Study demonstrated the competence of AMPM to capture accurate estimates of dietary Na intake. Each of these initiatives enhances Na intake measurement in national surveillance.Grant Funding Source: Supported by the Food Surveys Research Group

America's nutrition report card: comparing WWEIA, NHANES 2007‐2010 usual nutrient intakes to dietary reference intakes (384.2)

Assessing the nutritional status of Americans is critical to health officials and Federal policymakers involved in establishing dietary guidance and programs. How diets compare to dietary standards provide the foundation to assure the nutritional well‐being of the U.S. population. Dietary data from 17,892 individuals 1+ years of age (excluding breastfed infants and pregnant or lactating females) collected in What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007‐2010 were analyzed to determine estimates of usual nutrient intake distributions and compared to the requirements established by the National Academy of Sciences. Most Americans had inadequate intakes of vitamins D (94% + 0.4) and E (88% + 0.7) based on their Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Nutrients in which at least one‐third of individuals were below their EAR include vitamins C and A, calcium, and magnesium (37, 40, 42, and 49% respectively). Other nutrients that may be a problem for population subgroups include vitamin B6 for adult females, phosphorus for preteen and teenage females, and zinc for older adults and teenage girls. Vitamin K, potassium, choline, and dietary fiber, nutrients for which no EAR has been established may also be of concern.Grant Funding Source: Supported by Food Surveys Research Group

USDA Monitors Levels of Added Sodium in Commercial Packaged and Restaurant Foods

This manuscript describes progress by the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) in monitoring sodium in processed and prepared foods frequently consumed by the U.S. population. Recent concerns by the U.S. public health community about the intake of sodium by Americans have led ARS, USDA to develop a plan to monitor the levels of sodium in highly consumed commercial packaged and restaurant foods. NDL scientists worked with USDA's Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) to identify 125 Sentinel Foods, to serve as indicators for assessment of change in the sodium content in the food supply. For each food (e.g., cheese pizza) NDL used market share data to identify the predominant brands and types of foods (e.g., frozen cheese pizza, restaurant pizza) to be monitored for changes in the sodium level over time. Periodically, nutrient values for frequently consumed foods will be updated by chemical analysis or label checks. Estimates will be compared to existing values in the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Since 2010, about 140 foods have been sampled and analyzed by NDL contractors. NDL will continue to generate new sodium data which will be disseminated in the successive releases of the SR. Accurate and current data for sodium in processed foods will support the assessment of changes in sodium in foods as well as the assessment of sodium intake by the U.S. population in the years ahead.

The impact of revising fats and oils data in the US Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies

Major changes occurred in the fats and oils data for foods in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR), Releases 17, 18, and 20. New items were added and values for existing items updated. These data were incorporated into the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS), Releases 2.0 and 3.0 through cooperation between the Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG), where the FNDDS is prepared for the analysis of What We Eat in America (WWEIA), the dietary interview component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL), where SR is produced and which serves as the basis for the nutrient values in FNDDS. The task of updating the FNDDS requires synergistic efforts by specialists at both NDL and FSRG as well as extensive communication with industry. To determine the changes needed in FNDDS, recipes and ingredient lists were reviewed for the types of fats/oils used for several food categories. The types of fats/oils in commercially prepared foods such as crackers and in home/restaurant-prepared food such as fried fish were updated based on product formulation changes, availability of data in SR, and review of information from industry and the WWEIA, NHANES. Also, updated nutrient values from SR for existing fats/oils were incorporated into the FNDDS. Using national data from the WWEIA, NHANES 2001–2004, the impact of these changes on daily intake estimates of energy, total fat and fatty acids was determined. These changes resulted in minor but statistically significant ( p < 0.001) differences in mean intakes for the majority of the nutrients.

Developing a Nigerian-specific food and nutrient coding database

A Nigerian-specific food and nutrient coding database was developed by adding Nigerian-specific foods, recipes, measure descriptions, and gram weights to information from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) databases used for the 1994–1996, 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. The Nigerian database was used to analyze intakes from the 2001 Nigerian Food Consumption and Nutrition Survey. The Food Intake Analysis System (FIAS) (developed by The University of Texas School of Public Health and the USDA Agricultural Research Services Food Surveys Research Group) and food and nutrient data from the USDA databases were used to aid creation of foods and recipes specific to Nigeria. USDA data had only 214 of the basic foods reported consumed by Nigerians. Researchers developed food descriptions and nutrient profiles for another 117 foods specific to Nigerian intake. An additional 14 foods were created from ingredients in the USDA database. Complete profiles of 14 nutrients were included for every new food from food composition books and tables. A total of 422 recipes were created from the USDA and Nigerian foods using the nutrient retention factor recipe methodology and the FIAS software. Recipes were kitchen tested to obtain a weight before and after cooking, and the weight of a typical serving. It was necessary to add measure descriptions and gram weights to 359 USDA and 164 Nigerian foods. Development of this unique population-specific database of foods and recipes for this African country constitutes an important milestone for future diet and nutrition studies.

USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies: Released on the web

The USDA Survey Nutrient Database and other technical files used to code foods and calculate nutrient values for national food consumption surveys were updated, redesigned, and renamed the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS). This new database is now available over the internet from the Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG). Code numbers, food descriptions and food portion weights were added to accommodate the latest release of What We Eat in America, the dietary component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Food weights and portions were updated to reflect current fast food and other individually sized products. Nutrients were added and all nutrient values were updated based on the latest release of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. The FNDDS can be downloaded from the FSRG website ( http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/fsrg) in both ASCII and Microsoft Access ® formats. It contains descriptions for 13,500 foods, complete data for energy and 62 other nutrients, and over 30,000 weights for common food portions. The database may be used in conjunction with dietary data from What We Eat in America/NHANES, or applied to other dietary studies to provide comparability with national data.

Quality assurance during data processing of food and nutrient intakes

The Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) is responsible for methods of data collection and processing of dietary intake data, including the What We Eat in America Survey, which is the dietary interview component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Many measures have been implemented to ensure accuracy of the dietary data, such as a state-of-the-art data collection instrument and an extensive food and nutrient database. Also important, but usually receiving less public attention is the quality assurance taking place during data processing. A four-part quality assurance procedure is used for food intake data processed by FSRG. This includes (1) determination of overall acceptability of each 24-h recall, (2) resolution of new or unusual foods and amounts, (3) administration of data integrity checks, and (4) verification of 24-h recalls with extremely high nutrient intakes. Quality assurance not only contributes to the accuracy and validity of a specific set of dietary intake data, it also benefits future studies because findings help identify areas to target for interviewer training or for improvements in data collection and processing procedures.

An overview of USDA's Dietary Intake Data System

Automated methods for collecting and processing food intake data have been developed by the Food Surveys Research Group at USDA to increase the quality and efficiency of food intake surveys and other dietary research studies. These automated methods are part of a Dietary Intake Data System, which consists of three computer systems and an extensive food and nutrient database. Computer systems included are the Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) for collecting food intakes, the Post-Interview Processing System (PIPS) for reformatting data and assigning food codes, and Survey Net for final coding, quality review, and nutrient analysis. Features addressing data quality were prominent in the design of each of these systems. Components of the database, the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS), include food descriptions, food portions and their weights, and nutrients. These systems are currently used for research projects conducted by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service and for the dietary component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey beginning in 2002. The AMPM, translated into French and adapted to collect data for Canadian foods, will also be used in the next Canadian Community Health Survey.

Food and nutrient changes: software designed to enhance data quality

Food and nutrient databases must be continually updated to reflect changes in the food supply and improvements in data values. The Food Databases Management System (FDMS) is a software application designed to manage the US Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies used for food consumption surveys. Staff of the Food Surveys Research Group use FDMS to accomplish a variety of complex database management tasks. FDMS was created using ObjectPal, the programming language of the commercially available database program Paradox ®. With FDMS, users can update the database files with new information such as adding a new food code. Another important feature is the ability to integrate time-related changes into the database files. Better data values, due to improved analytical procedures and sampling methods, can replace older values in the database. When there is a true change to the food product itself, FDMS allows users to specify these time-specific changes with start dates and end dates. Programmed into FDMS is a series of automated quality control checks which monitor processes as they occur. Interfile quality control checks are also in place so that related files can be synchronized and updated. FDMS also contains historical information which staff can use when setting priorities for database updates.

Databases for analyzing dietary data—the latest word from What We Eat in America

The Food Surveys Research Group, part of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), processes several thousand 24-h dietary recalls each year for the government's survey of What We Eat in America. The latest available intake data are from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) 1994–1996, 1998 which have been released in two forms: (1) the traditional form of food and nutrient intakes and (2) a new form described as the Food Commodity Intake Database. The latter form involved translating the CSFII data into the equivalent amounts of basic food commodities as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Developed primarily for assessing risk from dietary exposure to pesticides, it provides the ability to study intakes for specific commodities, such as apples, regardless of how the food was used in various mixtures. Coding and processing survey data involves using extensive information about foods. Accordingly, ARS has developed and keeps up-to-date large technical food databases for this work, including the USDA food coding scheme, food measures and weights, recipes for food mixtures, and the Survey Nutrient Database. These databases, all publicly available, are widely used in food and nutrition research in the United States and have been used as models for databases supporting national food surveys in other countries.