Summary
This FAO-published reference manual by Greenfield and Southgate provides comprehensive guidance on the production, management and use of food composition data, serving as a foundational methodological text for nutritionists, food scientists and policymakers worldwide. It addresses the entire data lifecycle from sampling and laboratory analysis through to database compilation and practical application in dietary assessment and food policy. The work is widely regarded as the authoritative international reference for food composition methodology and underpins the development and maintenance of national and regional food composition tables.
UK applicability
Directly applicable to UK practice: the UK's McCance and Widdowson food composition tables and the work of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rely on the analytical and data-management principles codified in this publication. UK nutritionists, researchers and public health bodies use this framework to ensure consistency and quality in nutrient data.
Key measures
Nutrient content values (macronutrients, micronutrients, bioactive components); data quality indicators; analytical method descriptors; food description and coding systems
Outcomes reported
The publication sets out principles and procedures for generating, compiling, managing and applying food composition data, covering analytical methods, quality assurance, database construction and end-user applications. It provides guidance on how nutrient values are derived, expressed and interpreted across different food systems.
Topic tags
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