USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release No. 12

Table of Contents

Introduction
Explanation of File Contents
    Food Descriptions
    Refuse
    Nutrients
    Weights and Measures
    Footnotes
Explanation of File Formats
    ASCII and DBF
        Food Description File
        Nutrient Data File
        Nutrient Definition File
        Source Code File
        Gram Weight File
        Measure Description File
        Footnote File
    Abbreviated
    IFDA Standard Product Data Exchange Format
    Update Files
References
Appendix A - Abbreviations Used in Generating Short Descriptions
Appendix B - List of Abbreviations Used Elsewhere in the Tables

Introduction

The USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR) is the major source of food composition data in the United States and provides the foundation for most public and private sector databases. As food composition data are updated, new versions of the database are released. This version, the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 12 (SR12) contains data on 5,976 food items for up to 81 food components. It replaces the previous release (SR11-1) issued in August 1997 and adds food composition data for a few hundred new items. As beef cuts, trimmed to 1/2" external fat are not widely available in the marketplace, these items, except for prime grade cuts, have been removed from the database. Every food item may not contain a complete nutrient profile. Data on selenium for a large number of foods have been added to the database in this release. We have also updated the folate values in the database to reflect regulations promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration requiring the addition of folic acid to enriched grain products (45), which became effective on January 1, 1998. A number of other items have been updated. Although most foods, with the exception of breakfast cereals and infant formulas, have generic descriptions, there has been an expansion of data for brand name products. SR12 includes all the food composition data published in the 21 sections and four supplements of Agriculture Handbook No. 8 (AH-8) (17-41) unless those have been updated since 1992. If there are differences between the printed sections and the electronic release, the electronic release supersedes the printed version.

Data were compiled from published and unpublished sources. Published sources include the scientific and technical literature. Unpublished data are from the food industry, other government agencies, and research conducted under contracts initiated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Values may be analytical or calculated by the use of appropriate factors or recipes. The source code field in the Nutrient Data file provides more information on the type of data.

The SR is the responsibility of the staff of the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, Maryland, 20737.

Explanation of File Contents

The database is comprised of several separate data files. This section provides further details on the information provided in each of the data files. More extensive details on specific foods are available in the printed version of each Handbook section. The four principal files are: Food Description File, Nutrient Data File, Gram Weight File, and Footnote File. The four support files are: Nutrient Definition File, Measure Description File, Food Group Description File, and Source Code File.

Food Descriptions

Descriptive information about the food items is included in the Food Description File. Descriptions are based on those published in AH-8, but may not match exactly. Abbreviations used in creating short descriptions are given in Appendix A. In creating the short description, the first word in the long description was not abbreviated. Also, if the long description was 25 characters or less, the short description contains no abbreviations. Abbreviations used elsewhere in the tables are given in Appendix B. Scientific names, refuse and refuse description are also provided in this file where appropriate. The factors used to calculate protein from nitrogen as well as those used to calculate calories are also included in this file.

REFUSE: The "Refuse" and "Refuse Description" fields in the Food Description File contain amounts and descriptions of inedible material (i.e., seeds, bone, skin) for those foods containing refuse. These amounts are expressed as the percentage of the total weight of the item as purchased and were used to compute the weight of the edible portion. Refuse data were obtained from Agriculture Handbook No. 102 (AH-102) (12), AH-456 (1), and information supplied from unpublished sources such as ARS contracts. To calculate AAmount in edible portion of 1 pound as purchased" (Column G in AH-8) use the following formula:

Y = V*(4.536*((100-R)/100))

Where:

Y = Nutrient value per 1 pound as purchased
V = Nutrient value per 100 grams (Nutr_Val in the Nutrient Data File)
R = Percent refuse (Refuse in the Food Description File)

For raw meats, the items as purchased are raw; for cooked meats, the values are the amounts in the edible portion from 1 pound of cooked meat with refuse. For meat cuts containing bone, any connective tissue present is included in the value given for bone. Separable fat is not shown as refuse if the meat is described as separable lean and fat. Separable lean refers to muscle tissue that can be readily separated out of the intact cut and includes any fat striations within the muscle. For a boneless cut, the refuse values are for connective tissue or connective tissue plus separable fat. The percentage yield of cooked edible meat from the corresponding raw meat with refuse can be determined to give the cooked weight of the edible portion from 1 pound of raw meat with refuse using the following formula:

Y = (W_c / 453.6) * 100

Where:

W_c = Weight of cooked edible meat

Nutrients

Nutrient values per 100 g are contained in the Nutrient File. It contains the mean, number of samples, standard error and source code. The source code field indicates how the data value was determined (i.e. analytical, calculated, assumed zero, etc.). For more details on this file see the discussion under Format. To provide users information on the completeness of the database, Table 1 lists the number of items containing data for each nutrient.

Analytical values represent the total amount of the nutrient present in the edible portion of the food, including any added to the product in preparation for the retail market. The values do not necessarily represent the amounts of the nutrient available to the body.

Table 1 - Number of foods in database¹ containing values for selected nutrients.

1 Database contains 5,976 foods.

When nutrient data on some prepared or cooked products were unavailable or incomplete, nutrient values were calculated from data for comparable raw items. Values for such nutrients are computed for cooked items by applying nutrient retention (43) and yield factors. The nutrient content per 100 grams of raw food is multiplied by the percentage retained after cooking, and this product is divided by the percentage yield of cooked food to obtain the content of nutrient per 100 grams of cooked foods.

Vc = (Vr * RF)/Yc

Where:

Vc = Nutrient content of cooked food
Vr = Nutrient content of raw food
RF = Retention factor
Yc = Yield of cooked food

Retention factors are based on research funded by USDA contracts, recent research reported in the literature, and data from USDA publications. Retention factors were calculated by the True Retention Method (%TR) (14). This method, as shown below, accounts for the loss of solids from foods that occurs during preparation and cooking.

TR = (Nc * Gc) / (Nr * Gr) * 100

Where:

Nc = Nutrient content per g of cooked food
Gc = g of food after cooking
Nr = Nutrient content per g of raw food
Gr = g of food before cooking

In general, levels of fortification nutrients are the values calculated by the manufacturer or by NDL food specialists based on the NLEA label declaration of %Daily Value (DV). Such values represent the minimum nutrient level to be expected in the product. If analytical values were available to estimate levels of added nutrients, there would be a number in the sample count field.

PROXIMATES: Proximate components include moisture (water), protein, total lipid (fat), carbohydrate, and ash.

Protein: The values for protein were calculated from the content of total nitrogen (N) in the food using the conversion factors recommended primarily by Jones (6). The specific factor applied to each food item is provided in the N_Factor Field in the Food Description File. The general factor of 6.25 is used to calculate protein in items for which a specific factor does not exist. No factor is present for prepared recipe items generated using the Nutrient Data Bank System recipe program or if protein calculated by the manufacturer is reported.

Protein values for chocolate, cocoa products, coffee, mushrooms, and yeast were adjusted for nonprotein nitrogenous material. The adjusted protein conversion factors used to calculate protein for these items are as follows: chocolate and cocoa (4.74), coffee (5.3), mushrooms (4.38), and yeast (5.7). When these items were used as ingredients, only their protein nitrogen content was used to determine their contribution to the protein and amino acid content of the food. Protein calculated from total nitrogen, which may contain non-protein nitrogen, was used in determining carbohydrate by difference. This unadjusted protein value is not given in the Nutrient Data File for SR12--it is given as a footnote in the printed sections of AH-8.

For soybeans, a factor of 5.71 (6) was used for calculating protein. However, this factor differs from the practices of the soybean industry that uses 6.25 to calculate protein. Protein content of soy flours, soy meals, soy protein concentrates, and soy protein isolates is expressed both ways. The item calculated using the 6.25 factor is identified as "...crude protein basis."

Total lipid (fat): Total lipid content of most foods was determined using extraction methods employing ether or a mixed solvent system consisting of chloroform and methanol.

Carbohydrate: Carbohydrate when present is determined as the difference between 100 and the sum of the percentages of water, protein, total lipid (fat), and ash (and alcohol when present). Total carbohydrate values include total dietary fiber. Total dietary fiber content was determined by the following AOAC (2) enzymatic-gravimetric methods: 985.29 and 991.43. Total sugars were determined using AOAC methods (2), either HPLC or GLC, and are the sum of individual monosaccharides (galactose, glucose, and fructose) and disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, and maltose). At this time, data for total sugars are available primarily for formulated foods. It is anticipated that data on total sugars for other foods will be added in future releases.

Food energy: Food energy is expressed in both kilocalories (kcal) and kilojoules (kJ). One kcal equals 4.184 kJ. The data are for physiological energy which is the energy value remaining after the losses in digestion and metabolism have been deducted from the gross energy. Calorie values are based on the Atwater system for determining energy values. Details for the derivation of the Atwater calorie factors are outlined in Agriculture Handbook No. 74 (13). For formulated foods, calorie values (source codes 8 or 9; for more information on source codes, see Page 15) generally reflect industry practices as permitted by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of calculating calories from 4-4-9 kcal/g for protein, carbohydrate, and fat, respectively or from 4-4-9 kcal/g for protein, carbohydrate minus insoluble fiber, and fat. The latter method is frequently used for high-fiber foods.

Calorie factors are listed in the Food Description File with fields for protein, fat, and carbohydrate. For those foods containing alcohol, a factor of 6.93 was used to calculate calories from alcohol. No calorie factors are presented for prepared items generated using the Nutrient Data Bank system recipe program. Calories for these items are the sums of the calories contributed by each ingredient after adjustment for changes in yield as appropriate. No calorie factors are presented for formulated foods if the calories calculated by the manufacturer are reported.

Calorie factors for fructose and sorbitol, not available in the Atwater system, were derived from the work of Livesay (10). Calorie factors for coffee and tea were estimated from seeds and vegetables, respectively.

MINERALS: Most minerals were determined by AOAC methods (2). Phosphorus was determined colorimetrically. Sodium and potassium were usually determined by flame photometry. Calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese were determined by atomic absorption and plasma emission spectrophotometry. Newer values were generally determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). Data on selenium for a large number of foods have been added to the database in this release. Selenium values for other foods will be added in future releases. Much of the analytical data on selenium was published earlier (42) and was determined by the modified selenium hydride and fluorometric methods. The other values added to the database were calculated from these values. Procedures for imputing values used by NDL were described previously (16). The selenium content of plants, in particular cereal grains, is strongly influenced by the quantity of biologically available selenium in the soil in which they grow and hence their geographical origin (8). The selenium content of fruits and vegetables is normally very low. While the selenium content of soil may affect the selenium content of fruits and vegetables, their content does not increase significantly when compared to cereal grains or meats. These are average values and are not appropriate to use for locally grown foods from high or low selenium soil content areas.

VITAMINS: All data for ascorbic acid are listed under nutrient number 401 (total ascorbic acid) although reduced ascorbic acid was reported for many food groups especially for those food groups which are major contributors of ascorbic acid such as fruits and vegetables. Total ascorbic acid was reported for Food Groups 1 (Dairy and Eggs), 2 (Spices and Herbs), 4 ( Fats and Oils), 12 (Nut and Seeds , and 17 (Lamb, Veal and Game). Food Group 10, Pork and Pork Products contains a mixture of total and reduced forms which are reported under nutrient number 401. Reduced ascorbic acid was determined by the dichlorindophenol method and total ascorbic acid was determined by the fluorometric method.

Thiamin was determined chemically by the thiochrome procedure or by microbiological methods. Fluorometric or microbiological methods were used to measure riboflavin. The values for niacin are for preformed niacin only and do not include the niacin that would be contributed by tryptophan, a niacin precursor. The term, Aniacin equivalent" applies to the potential niacin value, that is, to the sum of the preformed niacin and the amount that could be derived from tryptophan. In estimating the amounts of niacin available from foods, the mean value of 60 mg of tryptophan is considered equivalent to 1 mg of niacin (15).

Pantothenic acid was determined microbiologically. Vitamins B₆ and B₁₂ were determined by microbiological or chromatographic methods. Vitamin B₁₂ is found in foods of animal origin or those containing some ingredient of animal origin; i.e. cake that contains eggs and/or milk. For foods that contain only plant products, the value for vitamin B₁₂ is assumed to be zero. Vitamin B₁₂ has been reported in certain fermented foods (i.e. beer, soy sauce, and miso). It is believed that this B₁₂ is synthesized not by the microorganisms responsible for the fermentation of the food, but rather by other contaminating microorganisms that may be present. Therefore, one should not consider these foods a reliable, consistent source of vitamin B₁₂ (9).

Folate values represent total folate activity, in which bound folate is released by enzymatic treatment. Most analytical values shown for folate were determined by the use of conjugase and Lactobacillus casei. Beecher and Matthews (3) reported that methodology for folate is lacking, needing improvement in the areas of method development, extraction procedures and applications. Limited amounts of data generated by USDA through contract analyses were obtained by a modified method using enzymes to release bound forms. Recent research on determining the folate content of high-protein and high-carbohydrate foods indicates that additional improvements in methodology are needed (11). The folate values in the data base have been updated to reflect regulations promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration requiring the addition of folic acid to cereal grain products that are subject to standards of identity (45). These products include flour, cornmeal and grits, farina, rice, macaroni, noodles, bread, rolls, and buns. Folic acid may continue to be added to breakfast cereals, infant formulas, medical foods, food for special dietary use and meal replacement products with some restrictions on the amounts that can be added. The regulations became effective on January 1, 1998. For the most part, values were calculated based on the enrichment levels specified in the regulations, as analytical values were not yet available. For those foods where the enrichment level is given as a range, the midpoint of the range was used. Food items containing any of these enriched products as ingredients, such as baked products made with enriched flour, have also been updated. As analytical values become available, the calculated values will be updated in future releases of the database.

The data for vitamin A include chemically determined preformed vitamin A and provitamin-A carotenoids as determined by AOAC methods. Total vitamin A activity is expressed both in international units (IU) and in retinol equivalents (RE). One IU is equivalent to 0.3 mcg of retinol, 0.6 mcg of beta-carotene or 1.2 mcg of other provitamin A carotenoids; one RE is equivalent to 1 mcg of retinol or 6 mcg of beta-carotene or 12 mcg of other provitamin A carotenoids. One RE is equal to 3.33 IU of retinol or 10 IU of beta-carotene (15).

Vitamin E was determined by gas liquid chromatography. The total vitamin E activity is reported as milligrams alpha-tocopherol equivalents from the amounts and relative activities for the various tocopherols and tocotrienols. Data reported in releases before SR11 as mg alpha-tocopherol or vitamin E have been deleted.

LIPID COMPONENTS: Fatty acids: The first number in the nutrient description is the number of carbon atoms and the second is the number of double bonds in the chain. Common and systematic names for the fatty acids are given in the Table 2. For unsaturated fatty acids, the common name reflects the most common isomer, although all isomers, including cis and trans, are included in the value. Most fatty acid data were obtained as the percentage of fatty acid methyl esters and were primarily determined by gas-liquid chromatographic analyses. The values shown are for the actual quantity of each fatty acid and do not represent fatty acid triglycerides. These data were converted to grams of fatty acid per 100 grams of total lipid (fat) using lipid conversion factors and then to grams of fatty acid per 100 grams edible portion of food using the total lipid content. Details of the derivation of lipid conversion factors have been published (46).

Table 2 - Systematic and Common Names for Fatty Acids

Values for total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids may include individual fatty acids not reported; therefore, the sum of their values may exceed the sum of the individual fatty acids listed. In rare cases, the sum of the individual fatty acids may exceed the sum of the values given for the total saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA). These differences are generally caused by rounding. In the case of brand name formulated foods, industry data were often available for fatty acid classes (SFA, MUFA, and PUFA) but were lacking for individual fatty acids. In these cases, individual fatty acids were calculated from the ingredients and normalized to the total fat level. A best-fit approximation was made to fatty acid classes, but unavoidably individual fatty acid totals do not always represent an exact match with industry fatty acid class data. Zero values for individual fatty acids should be understood to mean that trace amounts of the individual fatty acid may be present. When grams of fatty acids per 100 grams of total lipid are converted to grams of fatty acids per 100 grams of food, converted values of less than 0.0005 are rounded to zero.

Cholesterol: It is assumed that cholesterol is present only in foods of animal origin and those foods containing some ingredient of animal origin (i.e., cake that contains eggs). Cholesterol values are generated primarily by gas-liquid chromatographic procedures. For mixtures containing some animal product, the cholesterol value may be calculated from the value for the animal ingredient.

For foods that contain only plant products, the value for cholesterol is assumed to be zero.

Phytosterols: Data on plant sterols (campesterol, stigmasterol, b-sitosterol) were obtained by either colorimetric or gas-chromatographic procedures.

AMINO ACIDS: The data represent results obtained primarily by ion-exchange chromatography. Amino acid contents of each item in grams per 100 grams were calculated by the following formula:

AA_f = (AA_n * V_p ) / N_f

Where:

AA_f = Amino acid content per 100 grams of food
AA_n = Amino acid content per gram of nitrogen
V_p = Protein content of food
N_f = Nitrogen factor

The number of samples refers to the number of observations used in developing the amino acid pattern for the food. It appears only on the food item for which it was developed, not other foods which use the same pattern. For these other foods, the amino acid pattern is calculated based on the protein content.

If amino acid values are presented for an item with more than one protein-containing ingredient, amino acid values may have been calculated on a per-gram-of-nitrogen basis from the amino acid patterns of the various protein-containing ingredients. Then the amino acid contents for an item on the 100 gram basis were calculated as the sum of the amino acids in each protein-containing ingredient multiplied by the total nitrogen in the item.

Weights and Measures

Information is provided on household measures (i.e., 1 cup, 1 tablespoon, 1 fruit, 1 leg) for food items. Weights are given for edible material without refuse. The Weight File contains the gram weight equivalents for each food item. The description of each measure is provided in a separate file, the Measure Description File. The Weight File can be used to calculate nutrient values for these food portions from the values provided per 100 grams of food (Columns E and F in AH-8). The formula to calculate the nutrient content per household measure is:

N = (V * W)/100

Where:

N = Nutrient value per household measure
V = Nutrient value per 100 grams (Nutr_Val in the Nutrient Data File)
W = Gram weight of portion (Gm_wt in Weight File)

Together these files can be used to produce reports showing the household measure and nutrient values calculated to that portion. The weights were derived from published sources, industry files, data in USDA contract reports, U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook No. 456 (AH-456) (1), Home Economics Research Report No. 41 (HERR-41) (4), and the USDA Food Coding Data Base Weights and Measures File (44). Although special efforts were made to provide representative values, weights/measures for some foods vary considerably when obtained from different sources.

Footnotes

Footnotes are provided for a limited number of items where there is information on either the food description, weights and measures, or nutrient values which can not be accommodated in existing fields. Many of the footnotes previously published in Agriculture Handbook No. 8 are no longer needed as the information has been moved to other fields and tables. For example, further details on the measure description, once contained in footnotes, are now part of the measure description. Values for additional nutrients once included in footnotes, when appropriate, have been given nutrient numbers and included in the nutrient data file. Items have been added to the database to incorporate data included in footnotes covering enrichment or fortification, or when the nutrient content of an item is affected by color (i.e. yellow and white corn) or part of the plant analyzed. The remaining footnotes from Agriculture Handbook No. 8 will be added to this file in future releases.

Explanation of File Formats

The data base is comprised of several separate files. This document lists the data files, indicates the relationships among the data files, and provides the format for each file. There are four principal files: Food Description File, Nutrient Data File, Gram Weight File, and Footnote File. There are four support files: Nutrient Definition File, Measure Description File, Food Group Description File, and Source Code File. A diagram showing the relationship between these files is given in Figure 1. The data files are provided in four different file formats: two relational, ASCII, and DBF, and two flat: the Aabbreviated" and the Standard Product Data Exchange Format, Version 3.01 developed by the International Food Distributors Association (IFDA). The fields in each file, identified as "reserved for future use" have been removed. When new fields are added, they will be indicated in the documentation.

RELATIONAL FILES

Fields which always contain data and those fields which can be left blank or null are indicated in the "Blank" column in the following tables. An asterisk (*) indicates when the field is indexed. Although ASCII and DBF files are not indexed, indexes are identified in this document as they show those fields which are used to sort records within the Nutrient Databank System. Users may wish to import these files into their own data base management systems to facilitate access. If files are indexed, it is important to use the same indices listed here, particularly with the Nutrient Data File which uses two.

ASCII

Files are ASCII, delimited. All fields are separated by carets (^) and text fields are surrounded by tildes (~). A double caret (^^) will appear when a field is null or blank. Format descriptions listed here include the name of each field; its type (N=numeric with width and number of decimals (w.d) and A=alphanumeric); and its length.

DBF

Files are in DBF format and can be read by most database management systems. If necessary refer to the appropriate program manuals or to on-line help to find out how to import the files. The files and fields are identical to those of the ASCII files.

Food Description File: (File Name = FOOD_DES)

The Food Description File contains both a long and short description for 5,976 food items along with the scientific name, refuse, and the factors used for calculating protein, and calories if applicable.

• Links to the Food Group Description File by the FdGp_Cd field.
• Links to the Nutrient Data File by the NDB_No field
• Links to the Gram Weight File by the NDB_No field
• Links to the Footnote File by the NDB_No field

Food Group Description File: (File Name = FD_GROUP)

• Links to the Food Description File by FdGp_Cd

Nutrient Data File (File Name = NUT_DATA)

The Nutrient Data File contains the nutrient values and information about them including, sample count and standard error for analytical values and a source code indicating the type of data.

• Links to the Food Description File by NDB_No
• Links to the Nutrient Definition File by Nutr_No
• Links to the Source Codes File by Src_Cd
• Links to the Gram Weight File by NDB_No
• Links to Footnote file by NDB_No and Nutr_No

Nutrient Definition File (File Name = NUTR_DEF)

The Nutrient Definition File is the support file to the Nutrient Data File. It identifies the 3 digit nutrient number code with the unit of measure, INFOODS tagname, IFDA number, and description.

• Links to Nutrient Data File by Nutr_No

Source Code File: (File Name = SOURCE)

Links to the Nutrient Data File by Src_Cd

The Source Code File contains codes to give the user an indication of the type of data (i.e. analytical, calculated, assumed zero, etc.) in the Nutrient Data File. In versions of the SR prior to SR11 there was not a separate field to indicate the type of data in the file. The standard error field was used for this purpose. If there was a value in the standard error field, the nutrient value was based on analytical data. If the value with no standard error was published in the printed sections of Handbook 8, a -1 was placed in this field. If a value was missing from the printed Handbook section, but was imputed for SR, then a -4 was placed in the standard error field. For breakfast cereals, where values for added nutrients were based on the label declaration from the manufacturer, a code of -5 was placed in the field.

In converting to the new format for SR11, a value of -1 in the standard error field was converted to a 1 and moved to the new source code field. The standard error field was then blank if an actual value was not reported. If there was an actual standard error, a source code of 1 was put in the source code field. The -4 was converted to 4 and the -5 was converted to 5.

To improve the usability of the database, food specialists in NDL have filled in nutrient values for many proximate components, total dietary fiber, vitamin and mineral values. Values for other nutrients, such as alcohol and vitamin E, were filled in because the food items are part of the data base that is used for the USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII).

We have added additional source codes to be more specific about the type of data used for processed and brand name products starting with SR11 and continuing with subsequent releases. Previous versions of SR were not reviewed to revise source codes. Therefore the new source codes that have been added are used only for items that are new or were revised starting with the release of SR11. As existing items are revised, source codes will be updated.

The few exceptions are:

• Carbohydrate values of zero in animal products were given the source code of 7 which indicates an assumed zero.
• Carbohydrate values which were calculated by difference were given a source code of 4.
• Energy values which were calculated by Atwater factors are given a source code of 4.
• Cholesterol and vitamin B12 values of zero in plant products were given a source code of 7.
• Vitamin C and total dietary fiber values of zero in animal products were given a source code of 7.

SOURCE CODE LIST

Code	Description
1	The value is analytical or derived from analytical.
4	The value is imputed.
5	The value upon which a manufacturer based their label claim for added nutrients (Used primarily for Breakfast Cereals and Infant Formulas)
7	The value is an assumed zero. The nutrient is not expected to be present because biologically it could not be present, such as dietary fiber in animal products, or the nutrient is expected to be present in only insignificant amounts, such as vitamin C in meat products.
8	The value is calculated from the nutrient label by NDL.
9	The value is calculated by the manufacturer, not adjusted or rounded for NLEA compliance.
12	The value is analytical, supplied by the manufacturer with partial documentation.

Gram Weight File: (File Name = WEIGHT)

The Gram Weight File contains the gram weight for household measures for a food item with the measure number that links it to the description of the measure.

• Links to Food Description File by NDB_No
• Links to the Measure Description File by Msre_No
• Links to the Nutrient Data File by NDB_No

Measure Description File: (File Name = MEASURE)

The Measure Description File is the support file for the Gram Weight File. It contains the 5 digit measure number and measure description.

• Links to the Gram Weight File by Msre_No

Footnote File: (File Name = FOOTNOTE)

The footnote file contains additional information about the food item, a household weight, or a nutrient value.

• Links to Food Description File by NDB_No
• Links to the Nutrient Data File by NDB_No and Nutr_No

FLAT FILES

Abbreviated (File Name = ABBREV)

This file is in free format, with fields separated by carets (^). Text fields are surrounded by a tilde(~). The data in the file refer to 100 gram amounts of the edible portion of the food item. Decimal points are included in the fields. Missing values are denoted by a null value. This will appear as two consecutive carets (^^). The file is sorted in ascending order by the food item number.

This file is an adaptation of the Abbreviated File included with releases prior to SR11 and is provided as a convenience for users of that file. Because of the restructuring of the SR files with the release of SR11, some changes were made to this file as well: 1) The 20-character name is replaced with the 60-character short description; 2) the nutrients magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamin B₆, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin B₁₂ and vitamin E have been added; and 3) only the first two weights and their description for each NDB No. in the gram weight file are included, which may not be the same two weights as in previous releases of this file.

IFDA Standard Product Data Exchange Format

The data files have been converted to the IFDA Standard Product Data Exchange Format (5). This format was developed by IFDA to facilitate the exchange of product information, including nutrient data, between food manufacturers, suppliers and their various customers throughout the food chain.

UPDATE FILES

Change files in the formats described below are provided for those users who have reformatted previous releases for their systems and wish to do their own updates. Those items which are added for this release do not have corresponding pages in AH-8. If the update files which accompanied SR11-1 were not added to your database, it will be necessary to obtain those files before using the change files which accompany SR12. Items added to Release 12 are given in five files, "ADD_FOOD" for the descriptions of the new items, "ADD_NUTR" for the nutrient data, "ADD_WGT" for the gram weight data, "ADD_FTNT" for the footnotes, "ADD_MSRE" for the Measure Description File, and "ADD_NDEF" for the nutrient definition file. These files are in the same format as the Food Description file, the Nutrient Data file, the Gram Weight file, the Measure Description File, the Footnote File, and the Nutrient Definition File.

There are three files which contain changes since Release 11-1. "CHG_FOOD" contains those records with any changes in the descriptive information for a food item. "CHG_NUTR" contains changes to nutrient values, standard errors or counts. If either the nutrient value, number of samples, standard error changed, the entire record is included. The file "CHG_WGT" contains those records where the gram weight of the item has changed. "CHG_FDGP" contains changes in the food group file, and "CHG_NDEF" contains changes to the Nutrient Definition File.  These files are in the same format as the Food Description file, the Nutrient Data file, the Gram Weight file, Food Group Definition File, and the Nutrient Definition File. The eleven update files are provided in both ASCII and DBF formats.

Items that have been deleted from the database are given in the file "DEL_FOOD." In some cases, nutrient values have been removed. For example, when protein values for a breakfast cereal were updated and new amino acid data were not available, the old amino acid values were deleted. These records are in the file "DEL_NUTR." The file "DEL_WGT" contains those household weights which have been removed from the database. The file "DEL_MSRE" contains those household measures which have been removed from the database, either because the corresponding household weight or food item was also removed. In some cases, items were included in more than one AH-8 section for the convenience of the user. Where two different NDB numbers were assigned to duplicate occurrences of the same item, one of them has been removed from the database. A list of these items is given in the file "DUPLICAT".

Items Deleted (File Name = DEL_FOOD)

Nutrients Deleted (File Name = DEL_NUTR)

Weights Deleted (File Name = DEL_WGT)

Measures Deleted (File Name = DEL_MSRE)

Duplicate Items Removed (File Name = DUPLICAT.TXT)

Update files have also been provided for the Abbreviated file in both ASCC and DBF.  The file "CHG_ABBR" contains those records for food items where either a food description, household weight, refuse value or nutrient value was added, changed, or deleted since SR11-1. This file is in the same format as the Abbreviated File. "DEL_ABBR" contains those food items which have been removed from the database. It is in the same format as "DEL_FOOD" given below. "ADD_ABBR" contains those food items which have been added since SR11 and is also in the same format as the abbreviated file.

The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this database is for information and convenience of the user. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the USDA Agricultural Research Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.

The suggested citation for this database is:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1998. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 12. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp

References

1. Adams, C.F. 1975. Nutritive Value of American Foods in Common Units. U. S. Dept. of Agric., Agric. Handb. No. 456. 291 pp.

2. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1995. Official Methods of Analysis. 16th ed. 2 vol. Arlington, VA [and previous editions].

3. Beecher, G.R. and R.H. Matthews. 1990. Nutrient Composition of Foods. In: Present Knowledge in Nutrition. M.L. Brown, Editor. International Life Sciences Institute--Nutrition Foundation. Washington, D.C. pp 430-439.

4. Fulton, L., E. Matthews, and C. Davis. 1977. Average Weight of a Measured Cup of Various Foods. U.S. Dept. of Agric., Home Econ. Res. Rpt. 41, 26 pp.

5. International Food Distributors Association. 1995. IFDA Product Data Exchange Format, Version 3.01. Falls Church, VA.

6. Jones, D.B. 1941. Factors for Converting Percentages of Nitrogen in Foods and Feeds into Percentages of Protein. U.S. Dept. of Agric., Cir. No. 83, 22 pp. (Sl. Rev.).

7. Klensin, J.C., D. Feskanich, V. Lin, A.S. Truswell, and D.A.T. Southgate. 1989. Identification of Food Components for INFOODS Data Interchange. United Nations University. Tokyo. 106 pp.

8. Kubota, J. and Allaway, W.H. 1972. Geographic Distribution of Trace Element Problems. In Micronutrients in Agriculture: Proceedings of Symposium held at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. p525-554.

9. Liem, I.I.H., K.H. Steinkraus, and J.C. Cronk. 1977. Production of Vitamin B₁₂ in Tempeh; A Fermented Soybean Food. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 34(6):773-776

10. Livesay, G. and E. Marinos. 1988, Estimation of Energy Expenditure, Net Carbohydrate Utilization, and Net Fat Oxidation and Synthesis by Indirect Calorimetry: Evaluation of Errors with Special Reference to the Detailed Composition of Fuels. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 47:608-628.

11. Martin, J.I., W.O. Landed, A.M. Soliman, and R.R. Eitenmiller. 1990. Application of a Tri-Enzyme Extraction for Total Folate Determination in Foods. J. Assoc. Anal. Chem. 73(5):805-808.

12. Matthews, R.H. and Y.J. Garrison. 1975. Food Yields Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation. U. S. Dept. of Agric., Agric. Handb. No. 102, 136 pp. This publication is also available on the NDL Home Page: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp

13. Merrill, A.L. and B.K. Watt. 1973. Energy Value of Foods. Basis and Derivation. Rev. U.S. Dept. of Agric., Agric. Handb. No. 74, 105 pp. This publication is also available on the NDL Home Page: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp

14. Murphy, E.W., P.E. Criner, and B.C. Gray. 1975. Comparison of methods for determining retentions of nutrients in cooked foods. J. Agric. Food Chem. 23:1153

15. National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. 1989. Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th ed., Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 286 pp.

16. Schakel, S.F., Buzzard, I.M. and Gebhardt, S.E. 1997. Procedures for estimating Nutrient Values in Food Composition Databases. J. Food Comp. Anal. 10(2):102-114

17. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1976. Composition of Foods: Dairy and Egg Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-1, 144 pp.

18. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1977. Composition of Foods: Spices and Herbs; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb No. 8-2, 51 pp.

19. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1978. Composition of Food: Baby Foods; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-3, 231 pp

20. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1979. Composition of Foods: Fats and Oils; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-4, 142 pp.

21. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1979. Composition of Foods: Poultry Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-5, 330 pp.

22. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1980. Composition of Foods: Soups, Sauces, and Gravies; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-6, 228 pp.

23. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1980. Composition of Foods: Sausages and Luncheon Meats; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-7, 92 pp.

24. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1982. Composition of Foods: Breakfast Cereals; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-8, 160 pp.

25. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1982. Composition of Foods: Fruits and Fruit Juices; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8- 9, 283 pp.

26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1992. Composition of Foods: Pork Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-10, 223 pp.

27. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1984. Composition of Foods: Vegetables and Vegetable Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-11, 502 pp.

28. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1984. Composition of Foods: Nut and Seed Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-12, 137 pp.

29. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1990. Composition of Foods: Beef Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-13, 412 pp.

30. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1986. Composition of Foods: Beverages; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-14, 173 pp.

31. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1987. Composition of Foods: Finfish and Shellfish Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-15, 192 pp.

32. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1986. Composition of Foods: Legumes and Legume Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-16, 156 pp.

33. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1989. Composition of Foods: Lamb, Veal, and Game Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-17, 251 pp.

34. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1992. Composition of Foods: Baked Products; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-18, 467 pp.

35. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1991. Composition of Foods: Snacks and Sweets; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric Handb. No. 8-19, 341 pp.

36. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1989. Composition of Foods: Cereal Grains and Pasta; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-20, 137 pp.

37. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1988. Composition of Foods: Fast Foods; Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agric. Handb. No. 8-21, 194 pp.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Composition of Foods. Raw, Processed, Prepared Agric. Handb. No. 8.

38. 1989 Supplement, 1990. 96 pp.

39. 1990 Supplement, 1991. 114 pp.

40. 1991 Supplement, 1992. 85 pp.

41. 1992 Supplement, 1993. 144 pp.

42. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1992. Provisional Table on the Selenium Content of Foods. HNIS/PT-109.

43. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1994. USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 3. NDL Home Page (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp).

44. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1995. CSFII/DHKS Data Set, Documentation and Technical Support Files: The 1994 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the 1994 Diet Health and Knowledge Survey. National Tech. Info. Service. Springfield, VA. CD-ROM: Accession No. PB95-501010.

45. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 1996. Food Standards: Amendment of Standards of Indent for Enriched Grain Products to Require the Addition of Folic Acid. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 136, 137. Washington, D.C.

46. Weihrauch, J.L., L.P. Posati, B.A. Anderson, and J. Exler. 1977. Lipid Conversion Factors for Calculating Fatty Acid Content of Foods. J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc. 54: 36-40.

Appendix A - Abbreviations Used in Generating Short Descriptions

 All Purpose             ALLPURP
 Aluminum                AL 
 And                     &
 Apple                   APPL 
 Apples                  APPLS 
 Applesauce              APPLSAUC
 Approximate             APPROX  
 Approximately           APPROX 
 Arm and Blade           ARM&BLD
 Artificial              ART 
 Ascorbic Acid           VIT C 
 Aspartame               ASPRT 
 Aspartame-sweetened     ASPRT-SWTND
 
 Babyfood                BABYFD
 Baked                   BKD 
 Barbequed               BBQ 
 Based                   BSD 
 Beans                   BNS 
 Beef                    BF
 Beverage                BEV 
 Boiled                  BLD 
 Boneless                BNLESS 
 Bottled                 BTLD 
 Bottom                  BTTM 
 Braised                 BRSD 
 Breakfast               BRKFST 
 Broiled                 BRLD 
 Buttermilk              BTTRMLK
 
 Calcium                 CA
 Calorie                 CAL
 Calories                CAL
 Canned                  CND
 Carbonated              CARB
 Center                  CNTR
 Cereal                  CRL
 Cheese                  CHS
 Chicken                 CHICK
 Chocolate               CHOC
 Choice                  CHOIC
 Cholesterol             CHOL
 Cholesterol-free        CHOL-FREE
 Chopped                 CHOPD
 Cinnamon                CINN
 Coated                  COATD
 Coconut                 COCNT
 Commercial              COMM
 Commercially            COMMLY
 Commodity               CMDTY
 Composite               COMP
 Concentrate             CONC
 Concentrated            CONCD
 Condensed               COND
 Condiment               CONDMNT
 Condiments              CONDMNT
 Cooked                  CKD
 Cottonseed              CTTNSD
 Cream                   CRM
 Creamed                 CRMD
 
 Dark                    DK
 Decorticated            DECORT
 Dehydrated              DEHYD
 Dessert                 DSSRT
 Desserts                DSSRT
 Diluted                 DIL
 Domestic                DOM
 Drained                 DRND
 Dressing                DRSNG
 Drink                   DRK
 Drumstick               DRUMSTK
 English                 ENG
 Enriched                ENR
 Equal                   EQ
 Evaporated              EVAP
 Except                  XCPT
 Extra                   EX
 
 Flank Steak             FLANKSTK
 Flavored                FLAV
 Flour                   FLR
 Food                    FD
 Fortified               FORT
 French Fried            FRENCH FR
 French Fries            FRENCH FR
 Fresh                   FRSH
 Frosted                 FRSTD
 Frosting                FRSTNG
 Frozen                  FRZ
 
 Grades                  GRDS
 Gram                    GM
 Green                   GRN
 Greens                  GRNS
 
 Heated                  HTD
 Heavy                   HVY
 Hi-meat                 HI-MT
 High                    HI
 Hour                    HR
 Hydrogenated            HYDR
 
 Imitation               IMITN
 Immature                IMMAT
 Imported                IMP
 Include                 INCL
 Includes                INCL
 Including               INCL
 Infant Formula          INF FORMULA
 Ingredient              ING
 Instant                 INST
 
 Juice                   JUC
 Junior                  JR
 
 Kernels                 KRNLS
 
 Large                   LRG
 Lean                    LN
 Lean Only               LN
 Leavened                LVND
 Light                   LT
 Liquid                  LIQ
 Low                     LO
 Low Fat                 LOFAT
 
 Marshmallow             MARSHMLLW
 Mashed                  MSHD
 Mayonnaise              MAYO
 Medium                  MED
 Mesquite                MESQ
 Minutes                 MIN
 Mixed                   MXD
 Moisture                MOIST
 Natural                 NAT
 New Zealand             NZ
 
 Non Fat Dry Milk        NFDM
 Non Fat Dry Milk Solids NFDMS
 Non Fat Milk Solids     NFMS
 Noncarbonated           NONCARB
 Not Further Specified   NFS
 Nutrients               NUTR
 Nutrition               NUTR
 
 Ounce                   OZ
 
 Pack                    PK
 Par fried               PAR FR
 Parboiled               PARBLD
 Partial                 PART
 Partially               PART
 Partially fried         PAR FR
 Pasteurized             PAST
 Peanut                  PNUT
 Peanuts                 PNUTS
 Phosphate               PO4
 Phosphorus              P
 Pineapple               PNAPPL
 Plain                   PLN
 Porterhouse             PRTRHS
 Potassium               K
 
 Powder                  PDR
 Powdered                PDR
 Precooked               PRECKD
 Preheated               PREHTD
 Prepared                PREP
 Processed               PROC
 Product Code            PROD CD
 Propionate              PROP
 Protein                 PROT
 Pudding                 PUDD
 Puddings                PUDD
 
 Ready-to-bake           RTB
 Ready-to-cook           RTC
 Ready-to-drink          RTD
 Ready-to-eat            RTE
 Ready-to-feed           RTF
 Ready-to-heat           RTH
 Ready-to-serve          RTS
 Ready-to-use            RTU
 Reconstituted           RECON
 Reduced                 RED
 Reduced-calorie         RED-CAL
 Refrigerated            REFR
 Regular                 REG
 Reheated                REHTD
 Replacement             REPLCMNT
 Restaurant-prepared     REST-PREP
 Retail                  RTL
 Roast                   RST
 Roasted                 RSTD
 Round                   RND
 
 Sandwich                SNDWCH
 Sauce                   SAU
 Scalloped               SCALLPD
 Scrambled               SCRMBLD
 Seed                    SD
 Select                  SEL
 Separable 
 Shank and Sirloin       SHK&SIRL
 Short                   SHRT
 Shoulder                SHLDR
 Simmered                SIMMRD
 Skin                    SKN
 Small                   SML
 Sodium                  NA
 Solids                  SOL
 Solution                SOLN
 Soybean                 SOYBN
 Special                 SPL
 Species                 SP
 Spread                  SPRD
 Standard                STD
 Steamed                 STMD
 Stewed                  STWD
 Stick                   STK
 Sticks                  STKS
 Strained                STR
 Substitute              SUB
 Summer                  SMMR
 Supplement              SUPP
 Sweet                   SWT
 Sweetened               SWTND
 Sweetener               SWTNR
 
 Teaspoon                TSP
 Thousand                1000
 Toasted                 TSTD
 Toddler                 TODD
 Trimmed 
 Trimmed to 1
 
 Uncooked                UNCKD
 Uncreamed               UNCRMD
 Undiluted               UNDIL
 Unenriched              UNENR
 Unheated                UNHTD
 Unprepared              UNPREP
 Unspecified             UNSPEC
 Unsweetened             UNSWTND
 
 Varieties               VAR
 Variety                 VAR
 Vegetable               VEG
 Vegetables              VEG
 Vitamin A               VIT A
 Vitamin C               VIT C
 
 Water                   H20
 Whitener                WHTNR
 Whole                   WHL
 Winter                  WNTR
 With                    W/
 Without                 WO/
 
 Yellow                  YEL 

Appendix B - List of Abbreviations Used Elsewhere in the Tables

ap. . . . . . . . . . .as purchased
 approx. . . . . . . . .approximately
 ARS . . . . . . . . . .Agricultural Research Service
 ate . . . . . . . . . .alpha-tocopherol equivalent
 dia . . . . . . . . . .diameter
 fl oz . . . . . . . . .fluid ounce
 g . . . . . . . . . . .gram
 IU. . . . . . . . . . .international unit
 kcal. . . . . . . . . .kilocalorie
 kJ. . . . . . . . . . .kilojoule
 lb. . . . . . . . . . .pound
 mcg . . . . . . . . . .microgram
 mg. . . . . . . . . . .milligram
 ml. . . . . . . . . . .milliliter
 NDB . . . . . . . . . .Nutrient Data Bank
 NDL . . . . . . . . . .Nutrient Data Laboratory
 NFS . . . . . . . . . .not further specified
 NS. . . . . . . . . . .not specified
 oz. . . . . . . . . . .ounce
 RE. . . . . . . . . . .retinol equivalent

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