Introduction to the NutriBase Nutrient Data

Introduction to USDA SR Data

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USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference - The USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference is included in the NutriBase software. This nutrient database is prepared by the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL), Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture., Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center Nutrient Data Laboratory, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Building 005, Room 107, BARC-West Beltsville, Maryland 20705. As information is updated, new versions of the database are released.
The NutriBase software, which contains all of the USDA data, was developed by CyberSoft, Inc. without endorsement or collaboration with the Nutrient Data Laboratory. Direct all product inquiries to CyberSoft at 877-223-5459. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in the USDA nutrient database is for information and convenience of the user. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the USDA Agricultural Research Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference is the major source of food composition data in the United States and provides the foundation for most public and private sector databases. This data is used as a component of the database for all versions of NutriBase. As food composition data are updated, new versions of the Standard Reference are released. This version includes composition data for all the food groups and nutrients published in the 21 volumes of Agriculture Handbook 8 (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1976B92), and its four supplements (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1990B93), which superseded the 1963 edition (Watt and Merrill, 1963). Since 1992, updated data have been published electronically on the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) website. SR19 supersedes all previous releases, including the printed versions, in the event of any differences.
With the first release of data from our new Nutrient Databank System (NDBS) in July 2001, we changed some formats and added fields to improve the descriptive information for food items and the statistical information about the nutrient values. While data in previous releases have been moved to the new NDBS, they may not have been updated through the complete system. Therefore, many of these new fields contain data only for those items that have been processed through the new NDBS and it will take a number of years before they are populated for most food items in the database.
Data were compiled from published and unpublished sources. Published sources include the scientific and technical literature. Unpublished data include those obtained from the food industry, other government agencies, and research conducted under contracts initiated by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). These analyses are currently conducted under the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program (NFNAP), in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute and 16 other offices and institutes of the National Institutes of Health (Pehrsson et al., 2000). Data from the food industry represents the nutrient content of a specific food or food product at the time the data is sent to NDL. The values may change due to reformulations or other processing changes by individual companies between the time that SR is released and the next update of the database. Values in the database may be based on the results of laboratory analyses or calculated by using appropriate algorithms, factors, or recipes, as indicated by the source code in the Nutrient Data file. Not every food item may contain a complete nutrient profile.
Specific updates to this edition of the Standard Reference include:
We have made several major changes to the database since the last release, as listed below:
1) Included nutrient values for about 500 food items for fluoride from the USDA National Fluoride Database of Selected Beverages and Foods - Release 2 (USDA, 2005). Some values, such as regional values, were not incorporated into the SR.
2) Included nutrient values for total choline and betaine for approximately 500 foods from the USDA Database for the Choline Content of Common Foods (USDA, 2004). Values for other choline metabolites included in the choline database, as well as some values for food items where we are analyzing additional samples, were not incorporated into SR.
3) Added about 50 traditional or subsistence foods collected for development of the American Indian/Alaska Native Foods Database. These foods were hunted, harvested, fished, and prepared by tribal members. Data developed for this project are shared with the tribes that provided the samples. In many cases, the wild form of a plant or animal has a very different nutrient profile than its domesticated counterpart (e.g., berries, fish). In almost all cases, these data are generated from a limited sampling. Therefore, they are subject to revision as additional samples are analyzed.
4) A study was conducted to determine the nutrient composition of cured ham products. Nationally representative samples of various ham products were obtained from 12 locations nation-wide, prepared (unheated or heated according to package directions), and analyzed for nutrient content. As a result of this study, 74 new cured ham items have been added to SR. In addition to cured natural hams, products for enhanced categories are included. Ham products are defined as follows: "ham" contains at least 20.5% protein in the lean area with no water added; "ham with natural juices" contains at least 18.5% protein with a small addition of water when cured; "ham and water added" contains at least 17% protein with no more than 10% added solution; "ham and water product" contains less than 17% protein and contains water, but labeling must indicate percentage of "added ingredients."
5) In addition to the foods mentioned above, a number of new foods were added to the database, including 30 breakfast cereals, 29 fast foods (breakfast items, hamburger and chicken sandwiches) and 26 sweets (desserts, frostings and candies) using data submitted by the food industry or generated by USDA through NFNAP. A complete list of the added food items is in the ADD_FOOD file (p. 31). In addition, many nutrient values in all food groups have been updated with new data from NFNAP, food companies, and the scientific literature. These can be found in the CHG_NUTR file (p. 31).
6) A number of brand name items in Baked Products, Breakfast Cereals, and Meals, Entrees, and Sidedishes were deleted because products were no longer on the market or nutritional information does not reflect current market data.

The Nutrient Data Laboratory also includes the information needed to calculate household measures (1 cup, 1 tsp., 2 oz., etc.) for most of these basic food entries. CyberSoft performed the required calculations and included the non-100 gram food portions in the database.
CyberSoft also added values for iodine, chromium, molybdenum, Omega-3 Fatty Acid, Omega-6 Fatty Acid, fluoride, biotin, and chloride. (Many of these values are available only in NutriBase Clinical and Higher editions.) Iodine data was collected by CyberSoft from manufacturers of nutritional supplements and enteral/parenteral products which are included in this release of NutriBase. CyberSoft also derived the Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Omega-6 Fatty Acid from the existing USDA Fatty Acid information.
Note: The USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference provides values of zero or a blank for the conversion factors for mixed-ingredient food entries. Calculating "% Calories from" or "Calories from" values of zero would result in erroneous values. For this reason, CyberSoft used the 4-4-9 method (which is an AOAC approved method) to estimate the six added fields for mixed-ingredient food items. A value of "4.00" was used as the conversion factor for Protein; a value of "4.00" was used as the conversion factor for Carbohydrate, and a value of "9.00" was used as the conversion factor for Fat.

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