Additions and Updates

Overview

The NCC Food and Nutrient Database is expanded and updated on an ongoing basis, with a new version released annually. The expansion and update work has two foci. One focus is updating and expanding nutrients and other food components in the database. The other focus relates to keeping the foods in the database comprehensive and up-to-date with the marketplace.
 
Adding Nutrients and Other Food Components

Nutrients and other food components are considered for addition to the database. On an ongoing basis nutrient additions are selected based on:

  • Scientific importance
  • Availability of suitable data
  • Client interest

Click here to see chart of Addition of nutrients, nutrient ratios, and other food components to NDSR, 1998 – present
 
Updating Food and Nutrient Information

Food and nutrient updates issued with each USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR) release are incorporated in the NCC Food and Nutrient Database. Likewise, updates for recipes, densities, and food specific units from releases of the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) are regularly incorporated. In addition, specific nutrients are comprehensively updated when better analytic methods provide improved nutrient values or new measurement units are recommended.
 
Thousands of new brand name food products are introduced in the market place annually. In addition, existing products are reformulated periodically. A systematic process is followed whereby food categories are reviewed in turn, because it is not feasible to update every food category every year.
 
Categories for which the marketplace is more dynamic (e.g., ready-to-eat cereals) are updated more regularly than those with a slower pace of change (e.g., candies). Also, some categories may be given priority for update a particular year due to a marketplace shift. For example, in the years preceding and following the implementation of mandatory trans fatty acid labeling on the Nutrition Facts panel, certain product categories (e.g., margarines) were updated so that marked shifts in product formulations would be reflected in the database.