What’s in the food we eat?

We know natural foods are packed with nutrients and a plethora of bioactive compounds. But how can you reliably find out which components are contained in which foods? How do you weigh up the growing body of evidence supporting health benefits for those compounds? The BBSRC-supported Food Databanks National Capability at the Institute of Food Research is here to help. FDNC researchers have been producing and managing data on food composition for many years. They compile eBASIS, a bioactive compounds database and are soon to publish the 7th edition of ‘McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods’, a vital resource for food manufacturers, dietitians, researchers and policy makers who need to know the nutritional content of foods consumed in the UK.

To make it easier for businesses of all sizes to access this information, as well as other fundamental research into food, diet and health at the Institute of Food Research, IFR’s Food and Health Network provides effective links between IFR and the food industry. FHN enables the food, drink and health related industries to access discuss and exchange knowledge with IFR scientists, generating competitive advantage through early access to the latest research, through expertise clusters and confidential one-to-one discussions.

Tel: 01603 255000

www.ifr.ac.uk/fooddatabanks/