Gaps in Global Food Data Highlight Urgent Need for Updated Databases

Detailed food information is essential to know the nutritional value of consumed foods. A recent global overview, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, evaluated the situation of food composition databases (FCDBs) and was able to pinpoint serious problems in food data collection, processing, and dissemination. The report highlights the necessity for new, harmonized, and accessible food data systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

The review, The State of Food Composition Databases: Data Attributes and FAIR Data Harmonisation in the Era of Digital Innovation, analyzed 101 FCDBs that represented 110 countries. The databases were tested against the FAIR Data Principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The databases are utilized by public health, agriculture, nutrition, and policymaking experts to make decisions on food systems, diet advice, food safety, and nutrition interventions.

Though most of the FCDBs were online and at the "findability" level, only 30% were readily accessible in that information could be reproduced and actionable by end users. Only 69% of the databases were interoperable, or capable of data exchange with other systems, and only 43% were at the reusability requirement level, which circumscribed their extended use.

The testing revealed that the databases were unevenly distributed. European, North American, and some Asian countries boasted better systems, while African, Central American, and Southeast Asian countries tended to have out-of-date or partial data—or no databases. In most countries, including Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, FCDBs had not been updated in over 50 years. Overall, 39% of all databases tested had not been updated in five years or more.

The long-term implications of weak food data infrastructure are vast. Based on out-of-date, inaccurate data, governments and agencies cannot base decisions on the most critical matters such as national nutrient deficiencies, school meal programs, labelling regulations, or crop research. Furthermore, exclusion of Indigenous and rural foods from government databases results in the marginalization of culturally important diets and loss of agri-diversity.

One of the issues of interest in the present study was that it was unstandardized. Most FCDBs mirror other nations' information instead of analyzing food in their regions of operation. This is not accurate since food composition varies with climate, soil, cooking method, and crop type. There is no international standard to describe foods or define and quantify nutrients, hence it is challenging to compare information from different nations.

Most databases only report on basic constituents such as fat, protein, calories, and carbs. Of the 101 databases queried, only 38 food constituents were reported in common. This is far too low, considering that modern nutrition science acknowledges thousands of bioactive molecules in food that may influence human health.

The research further found that most FCDBs are restricted in the food groups they report. Staple foods are generally covered, but data from the underrepresented food groups such as traditional crops and Indigenous foods are scarce. This also constrains the generation of inclusive and sustainable food policies.

In spite of these setbacks, the review established some promising developments in the form of the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI). The international initiative offers hopes of transforming food data systems through applying new technologies and building open, standardised, and inclusive foundations of data.

The PTFI employs methods such as metabolomics and mass spectrometry to break down foods at a molecular level and to identify over 30,000 bioactive compounds beyond more conventional indicators of nutrients. It also has a genuinely global reach, with ingredients on every continent, showcasing Indigenous and underrepresented ones. All PTFI data are FAIR-compliant and openly shared by adopting agreed international protocols. It is facilitated for use by researchers, governments, and food industry players.

The review states that precise and representative food data is essential in guiding healthy diets, national policy, and sustainable agriculture. Without enhanced food databases, most populations are out of reach of evidence-based nutrition interventions. The solution to this will need to include international cooperation, investment in technology, and resources to develop capacity in those countries with no food data infrastructure.

The results demonstrate conclusively that database updating of food composition is not just an engineering problem but a strategic imperative. Access to food data for all can enhance health benefits, safeguard local foods, and promote global sustainable food systems.

The study was supported by global agencies and acknowledges support from Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Rockefeller Foundation, Seerave Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Source: Frontiers in Nutrition Journal