All about the food composition data provided by EuroFIR AISBL

Food names

The food items contained in the EuroFIR databases are usually described by their generic food names (a generic food name is a non-branded food name, e.g. apple, bread, carbonated beverage containing caffeine) in English as well as in the original language of the respective database. When describing manufactured foods, the brand name can be the food name, e.g. “Coca-Cola”, instead of the generic food descriptor “carbonated beverage containing caffeine”. As the EuroFIR Data originates from different countries, and not all countries include brand names in their food composition databases (FCDBs) (some countries are not allowed to include brand names because of national policies), information on manufactured foods cannot be provided in full by EuroFIR. However, the opportunity exists to borrow information for a particular product (e.g. the Big Mac from McDonald’s) from a FCDB that already provides this information, and to use it for the FCDB of another country.

Prepared foods/dishes

Most national FCDBs provide information about prepared foods and this usually includes the nutrient content for single food items in both the raw and prepared forms (e.g. minced meat raw plus cooked, e.g. fried) and also the nutrient content for composite dishes (e.g. Spaghetti Bolognese or soups). Another option is to calculate the nutrient content of prepared food items by using a formula based on the ingredients of the recipe along with specific factors that correct for nutrient and weight losses during the preparation process of the dish. Food items like sandwiches and salads are also considered a dish in some FCDBs, although the single ingredients do not undergo any cooking processes.

Food groups & LanguaL

The EuroFIR recommendations include the classification of food items in national FCDBs into 13 food groups. This particular classification or a similar one is usually available in the databases of interest. The foods in all FCDBs linked with EuroFIR are indexed using LanguaL, a powerful standardised food description thesaurus. This uniformity enables the simultaneous online search of all FCDBs and facilitates the exchange of food data. The LanguaL thesaurus includes several food classification systems, amongst them the EuroFIR system. The food description thesaurus is available in Danish, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and can be delivered alongside EuroFIR data.

Component values & units

All components (such as energy content, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals, water) in the FCDBs are accompanied by the recommended unit, e.g. energy in kcal and kJ, carbohydrate in grams. EuroFIR can deliver the values for all components available in a FCDB of a specific country or a small set of pre-selected prioritised components, as well as single sets according to users’ requirements.

Number of food items for each country

The section called “Data availability” below lists the number of food items available in the FCDBs linked with EuroFIR. Some FCDBs also provide a selection of the most commonly consumed foods in a country. Within the context of the data available within individual FCDBs, EuroFIR can provide either information on all the available foods or, where needed, limit this to a small selection of foods contained in the FCDB of interest.

Serving size

Serving sizes are still not included in all the FCDBs linked with EuroFIR. It will take some time before this information is available in a comprehensive manner across all FCDBs. In the interim, one option is to apply an existing set of serving sizes from one FCDB to another in which the information is currently absent.

Data availability

For more information on the data availability in the FCDBs linked with EuroFIR, please download the document: Customer Information on Availability and Uses of EuroFIR Food Composition Data (PDF - 2,6MB)