24/08/2010

This new application is coordinated by AESAN

• Thanks to this tool, users will be able to identify sources of specific nutrients, analyse individual diets, design special diets for patients, provide information for patients and analyse recipes and menus
• The new database (BEDCA) contains information on over 500 foods and it is hoped that by the end of the year this figure will reach 1000

From today the public will be able to consult the composition of over 500 foods, including those most frequently consumed in Spain, thanks to a new application allowing access to the Spanish Food Composition Database (BEDCA) and which was today presented by the Minister for Health and Social Policy, Trinidad Jiménez.

The new database gathers together food composition tables in a unified way and in accordance with international scientific criteria, which are a very useful tool for assessing the long-term nutritional state of a population, in times of health as well as sickness. This application will contribute to improvements in training the public and to the work of specialists working in nutrition.

The database, which aims to include data on up to 1000 foods by the end of the year, is built to European standards developed by the European Network of Excellence EuroFIR. It is incorporated along with other European databases within the EuroFIR AISBL Association, which is charged with developing a unified and quality controlled platform for the European databases on food composition and their interconnection via web services.

From now on, the public can access part of this network. Specifically, the part which gives information, for example, on the nutrients contained within any food product.

The BEDCA network was set up with the help of financial incentives for Ministry for Science and Innovation (MICINN) complementary actions and is funded and coordinated by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), which is also responsible for its running. The network is made up of researchers from different public research bodies (universities and Scientific Research Councils) and representatives from the Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB) and the Triptolemos Foundation.

Besides AESAN, it is made up of the following:

• CESNID. Centre d'Ensenyament Superior de Nutrició i Dietética. (Higher Education Centre for Diet and Nutrition)
• Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB).
• Triptolemos Foundation.
• Hospital Puerta de Hierro. Madrid Regional Department for Health. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
• Institute of Fat. CSIC.
• Institute of Refrigeration. CSIC.
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
• University of Barcelona.
• University of Córdoba.
• University of Granada.
• University of Murcia.

CONSULTATIONS

Any member of the public can consult the database and access the nutritional information for any food product via the link which appears on the AESAN website (www.aesan.msps.es) or directly via www.bedca.net. The calorie content of a food can also be consulted along with the source of the data obtained, up to 39 pieces of data per food item.

Investigators brought together references appearing in each of the previous tables used in Spain and with this information they created the definitive database, which gives each food item a code, which identifies it unequivocally. This prevents any possible confusion between different products, which arose in the past.

USES

Thanks to this tool, users will be able to identify sources of specific nutrients, analyse individual diets, design special diets for patients, provide information for patients, analyse data from food surveys, design special diets for epidemiological research, offer training and education to the consumer and educational materials (for example to teaching centres), amongst other things.

They will also be able to design diets for healthy people with special dietary needs, such as sportsmen and women, or to develop and analyse recipes and menus.

The food groups included in the database are:

1. Milk and dairy products.
2. Eggs and egg products.
3. Meat and meat products.
4. Fish, molluscs, reptiles, crustaceans and their products.
5. Oils and fats.
6. Grains and grain products.
7. Pulses, seeds, kernels, nuts and their products.
8. Vegetables and vegetable products.
9. Fruits and fruit products.

1. Sugar, chocolate and their products.
2. Beverages (non-milk).
3. Miscellaneous.
4. Products for specific nutritional use.

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