A comparative analysis of food composition tables and databases included in the EuroFIR network

*This record is given in both English and Spanish

Food composition data are an essential requirement in many aspects of nutrition and dietetics as they are used to assess the nutritional status of a population, to study diet-disease relationships, to prescribe therapeutic diets, in nutritional interventions, or in the food industry, in nutritional labelling and food reformulation.
EuroFIR is a European association of organisations that compile food composition data and its goals include the harmonisation of food composition databases.
The goal of this work is to compare open-access food composition databases listed in EuroFIR in order to assess their advantages and disadvantages, their utility and possibilities for improvement. It is an adapted version of a Master’s thesis project conducted in the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) and defended as part of the University Master’s Degree in Food Safety at the Complutense University in Madrid.
Keeping in mind the information provided by different open-access food composition databases compiled by EuroFIR, Denmark’s Frida Food Data appears to be one of the most complete databases, as it provides an extensive list of different nutrients for each food, with detailed information on carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins, along with the most common contaminants.
The Spanish food composition database (BEDCA) is the only database in Spanish in EuroFIR and it is currently being updated. Its lines of improvement may include, among others, an increased number of nutrients and foods, the ability to search by recipe, the possibility of comparing nutrients or foods, incorporating a food diary, and a daily intake calculator.