General Criteria of Elaboration and Use of Food Composition Tables and Food Data Systems

Abstract

The growing interest in the íield of community nutrition and nutritional quality has originated a major demand on food composition information. This has make an increase in the number of food composition tables as well as in its applications. However. often the appropiatte interpretation of the information obtained is misused Food composition tables need to be considered as data systems. not only restricted to the tabulated information, that try to compile composition of most important representative food in the region. Dificulties arising from this method at different levels (sampling. analytical procedures, data prcsentation. etc.) make to the researcher the need to consider several risks. On the other hand, the application of food composition tables is subjected to many sources of variability. The present work tries to make clear the main considerations in using food composition tables appropiately, as well as in managing software and interpreting results from food consumption studies.