Recipe calculation

As the direct analysis of the composition of foods is very expensive, an alternative is to calculate the nutrient content of a composite dish. The calculation methods use the values for the ingredients processed according to the recipe for the dish. However, there are many possible variations in the known methods for nutrient calculation and so it is important that recipe calculation is done consistently.

Following inventories and research across more than 20 European food databases and other relevant sources (Bógnar, 2002, USDA, Release 5, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary, 2006, McCance and Widdowson’s, 2004) this work package has generated a harmonised approach towards recipe calculation including appropriate documentation of the calculations performed. This has been achieved by a LanguaL-based organisation and coding of available, common yield and retention factors which make calculated values found in today’s databases more transparent for data interchange and users.

Data transfer from the food industry

The composition of industrially produced food products changes more quickly than food databases can be developed. Thus, the only way to keep this data up-to-date is for the food industry to generate and maintain its own food composition data.

This work package (together with EuroFIR’s sustainability task force) has been looking at current ways that food composition database compilers work with the food industry to improve the accurateness and timeliness of data on industrially manufactured foods. Links have been built with industrial player across the EU to find and demonstrate first cooperation models that allow data flow from the food industry to EuroFIR databases. (It’s a bit too early to have a general agreement and the facilities which will work for all sorts of industry and data, but first cooperation models are in place.)

Stakeholder involvement across Europe

Over 30 stakeholders from the Latvian food industry and those working in research, policy and agriculture met in February 2007 to discuss the future of the newly established Latvian food composition database. Representatives from the EuroFIR project were also present. The needs and perspectives of the food industry and how to provide a sustainable future for food composition were discussed. In Germany, a dedicated cooperation platform has been built and introduced via the leading industrial association BLL to allow for a more comfortable and sustainable sharing of information. Across Europe and associated EuroFIR countries, industrial associations and members are included into advisory boards and committees of food composition databases to improve the reflection of available foods in the current databases. Current status and progress is presented to e.g. CIAA – the voice of the European food and drink producers - and ILSI’s Task Forces to keep decision makers of the European industry informed about EuroFIR’s potential and capabilities