Nutrient Databases: Critical Tools for Policy Development

Abstract Nutrient databases provide critical tools for developing effective government policies to promote healthy diets and a nutritionally healthy food supply. This paper highlights the role of nutrient databases in various phases of policy development referencing folic acid as a historical illustration and providing more recent examples of trans fat and sodium reduction in the food supply. Limitations of both public and proprietary nutrient databases are considered and improvements to enhance nutrient databases to support policy efforts are suggested.

[1]  Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo,et al.  Projected effect of dietary salt reductions on future cardiovascular disease. , 2010, The New England journal of medicine.

[2]  Christine L. Taylor,et al.  Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States , 2010 .

[3]  Nutrition Board,et al.  Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline , 2000 .

[4]  R. Mattes,et al.  Relative contributions of dietary sodium sources. , 1991, Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

[5]  D. Mozaffarian,et al.  The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors , 2009, PLoS medicine.

[6]  D. Folmer,et al.  Updated estimate of trans fat intake by the US population , 2012, Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment.

[7]  Heather C. Kuiper,et al.  Levels of plasma trans-fatty acids in non-Hispanic white adults in the United States in 2000 and 2009. , 2012, JAMA.

[8]  D. B. Wilson,et al.  Evaluating food fortification options: general principles revisited with folic acid. , 1995, American journal of public health.

[9]  B. Clinton,et al.  Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review , 1993 .

[10]  L. Bailey,et al.  Folic Acid Food Fortification—Its History, Effect, Concerns, and Future Directions , 2011, Nutrients.

[11]  K. Baylis,et al.  Did Implementing Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 Improve Diet , 2010 .

[12]  W. Dietz,et al.  Eliminating the use of partially hydrogenated oil in food production and preparation. , 2012, JAMA.

[13]  T. J. Mathews,et al.  Racial/ethnic differences in the birth prevalence of spina bifida - United States, 1995-2005. , 2009 .