USDA Branded Food Product Database Now Available!

One of the primary aims of the US Department of Agriculture is to assess the nutritional health of the American people. This requires tracking commonly eaten foods and their precise, complete nutritional information.

In 2011 US President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum to develop a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to develop multiple initiatives, including an expansion of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference with relevant information on branded food products.

While the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference is considered the benchmark in nutrient data for foods worldwide, it primarily focuses individual food items.

There are many more manufactured food from the food industry found in the grocery stores and consumed across the nation and across the world. The food industry has the nutrient information for these products.

Previous attempts by the USDA to make this information available to organizations and individuals outside of the food industry had met limited success.

But with the development of the PPP, the USDA Branded Food Products Database  has become a reality due to the collaboration of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the USDA, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) North America (NA), the  GS1 US, 1WorldSync, and Label Insight.

The USDA Branded Food Products Database is separate from but integrated with the USDA National Nutrient Database. It includes:

• the product name and generic descriptor
• serving size and servings per package
• nutrients shown on the Nutrition Facts Panel or the Expanded Nutrition Facts Panel
• weights and measures
• the ingredient list and sub-list,
• a date stamp associated with the most current formulation of the branded or private label food product

As food manufacturers opt to contribute nutritional information, several groups will benefit:

• public health policy groups
• medical researchers
• nutritional and healthcare professional
• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey creators

What does this mean for you and your weight management? As an individual consumer, it can help you evaluate products in your pantry, as well as your future purchases to meet your specific nutritional needs. The food labels will provide even more information:

Contact your weight management advisors at the Metabolic Medical Centers to create an optimal nutritional plan for your weight management goals.