Using food composition tables and differences in nutrient content among varieties of the same species, the presentation makes the case for using biodiversity to achieve nutrient adequacy

1. Food Composition and
Biodiversity
Barbara Burlingame, PhD
Principal Officer
Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division
FAO

2. INFOODS
• Established in 1984 • Objective: to stimulate
• Under UNU and FAO. and coordinate efforts
to improve the quality
• IUNS Task Force
and availability of food
• Coordination since analysis data
1999 in FAO worldwide
EUROFOODS
NORAMFOODS CARKFOODS
MEFOODS NESIAFOODS
CARICOMFOODS SAARCFOODS
AFROFOODS
LATINFOODS ASEANFOODS
OCEANIAFOODS

3. International Collaboration
• INFOODS (International Network of
Food Data Systems)
• EuroFIR (European Food Information
Resource Network)

4. INFOODS achievements
• Standards and guidelines
• Capacity development
• Tool development: FCDBMS: Compilation Tool
• Publications and Declarations
• Databases and tables
• Laboratory Quality Assurance
• Biodiversity

5. Standards and guidelines
• Component identifiers also called tagnames: Since 1989 over 800
tagnames published
• Food nomenclature (Truswell et al., 1991)
• Interchange of food composition data (Klensin 1992; FAO, 2004)
• Guidelines on compilation of food composition data (Rand et al.,
1991)
• New energy conversion factors (FAO, 2003)
• Food matching guidelines (FAO/INFOODS, 2011) ew
N
• Guidelines on Conversion among different Units, Denominators
and Expressions in preparation w
Ne
• Guidelines on Checking Food Composition Data prior to the
Release of a User Database in preparation w
Ne

6. Capacity development
• Involved in/ co-organized over 20 international
training courses
• Organized 10 training courses
• Published distance learning tool Food composition
Study Guide in English, French and Spanish
together with 12 PowerPoint presentations
summarizing the main points of the modules

7. Publications
Food
Composition
Data
Production,
Management
and Use.
English: 2003
Spanish: 2006
French: 2007

8. Fat (g/100g)
8
AOAC: Total lipid 7
6
5
TG equivalents 4 Orange
3 roughy
2
Minus wax esters 1
0 AOAC
TGeq
USDA

9. Food Composition Study Guide w
Ne
developed by FAO/INFOODS
Objectives
• To reach a wider audience cost-effectively,
which otherwise would never be served
• To assist learners to fill their specific knowledge
gaps and assess their knowledge acquisition
• To assist learners to perform better when
generating, managing or using food
composition data
• To assist teachers to prepare lessons and test
students
Target Population
• self-learners, FoodComp courses, universities:
compilers and users and also analysts;
teachers and students

10. Some examples (3)
Software packages for intake assessment or
labelling
• On INFOODS website ‘softwares’(examples)
– WorldFood Dietary Assessment System
– CBORD
– ESHA Research (commercial): (1) Nutrient Analysis
Programs; (2) Nutrient Processor and (3) on-line Food
Prodigy; http://www.esha.com
• Nutritionist Pro (commercial): (1) Nutritionist Pro™
Knowledge Base (DB); (2) Nutritionist Pro™ Diet
Analysis and (3) Nutritionist Pro™ Food Labeling
http://www.nutritionistpro.com/
• Optifoods (London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicince, UK) for recipe/diet formulation meeting
nutrient requirements (under pilot testing)

11. Tool development: FCDBMS
• FCDBMS is needed to compile a FCDB
• FCDBMS exist:
– for national/regional programmes
– commercial products for different uses (e.g. labelling)
– for certain projects
• No FCDBMS exists for international use as yet
• BUT especially developing countries and researchers
do not have the financial means to develop their own
FCDBMS software New
 Compilation Tool was developed by FAO/INFOODS to
fill this gap (in Excel allowing data compilation according
to INFOODS standards and to document all data)

12. Publications and Declarations
• Food Composition Data: A User's Perspective (Rand et al., 1987)
• Food Composition Data – production, management and use
(Greenfield & Southgate) In English (2003), Spanish (2006), French
(2007) and Korean (2008)
• Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (JFCA) was the official
INFOODS journal from 1987 to 2010
• Indigenous Peoples' food systems: the many dimensions of culture,
diversity and environment for nutrition and health. (Kuhnlein et al.,
2009) New
• AFROFOODS declaration (2010) New
• Bangkok Declaration (2009) from the 8th International Food Data
Conference w
Ne

13. Laboratory Quality Assurance
• Several proficiency testing (PT) were organized,
especially in ASEANFOODS countries. More PTs
are planned in SAARCFOODS countries
• Strengthening laboratory capacity in food
composition (including accreditation) in the South
Pacific in 2002-2004 through FAO
• ASEAN Manual of Nutrient Analysis (2011) New

14. Databases and tables (1)
• co-published 9 FCTs: ASEANFOODS (2000),
LATINFOODS (2002), Pacific Islands (1994, 2004),
Lesotho (2006), Brazil (2008), Armenia (2011), New
Composition of selected foods in West Africa (2010), New
West African Food Composition Table (2012) New
• FAO/INFOODS Density Database (2011) ew
N
 Future work: co-publish more national and regional
FCDBs and DBs on yield and retention factors

15. Databases and tables (2)
• Many FCTs/FCDBs compile data from existing
sources (often USDA) and are not well
documented
• Analytical data are missing especially in developing
countries (specifically minerals and vitamins) and
on food biodiversity
• FAO/INFOODS is compiling FCDBs with solely
analytical data (one for biodiversity and one for all
foods) to avoid reuse of compiled data of
compilations

16. Regional Tables

17. Food Composition
Technical Barrier to Trade
• Nutrient labelling, nutrition claims, health
claims
• RDI’s, DV’s, % contributions
• Identification of food by component
• Identification of components and
methods
• Proportion of ingredients as standards
• Processes affecting nutrient content
• Units of measure and serving size

18. Detentions and Confiscations at US
Decomposition
1% Filth Others
16% 4%
Microbiological
Contamination
16%
Food Additives
4%
Low Acid
Canned Food
30%
Pesticide
Residues
3%
Heavy Metals
Mold 2%
2%
Labelling
21%

19. Bangkok Declaration
The delegates to the 8th International Food Data Conference, in
• Recognizing the importance of food composition data to nearly all
activities in nutrition,
• And the continuing need for quality food composition data for the
sectors of health, agriculture, the environment and food trade,
• Agree to promote the science of food composition in many diverse
forums, including national, regional and international conferences,
• to undertake advocacy in the context of policy and programme
development,
• to insure the integration of food composition principles in relevant
activities,
• and support in various ways the continuing development,
maintenance and updating of food composition databases within
sustainable infrastructures.

20. •Note that the degradation of ecosystems and the
loss of food biodiversity is contributing greatly to
the increases in poverty and malnutrition in Africa;
• Recognize that returning to local crops and
traditional food systems is a prerequisite for
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for
food and nutrition; The Door of No Return
• Acknowledge that local foods are the basis for House of the Slaves
African sustainable diets.
Gorée Island

21. •Urge that food composition data be emphasized as the
fundamental information underpinning almost all activities
in the field of nutrition;
• Call upon the sectors of public health, agriculture, and
environment and food trade to help reinforce and assist
with the improvement of food composition data,
particularly on local foods;
• Request that the contribution of food composition be
credited as one of the most important components for
action in nutrition and food quality, food safety, and food
and nutrition security;

22. •We invite all sectors to place AFROFOODS on the
national, regional and international agenda for all food
and nutrition activities in Africa through
interdisciplinary strategic plans for achieving the
relevant MDGs; and therefore, from the Door of
Return of the House of the Slaves of Gorée-Dakar, we
accept the challenge ourselves and send this call for
action to our colleagues, as well as to governments, the
private sector and financial entities, to strengthen
AFROFOODS activities in a renewed commitment to
an African food renaissance.

23. Summary
• INFOODS assist countries through guidelines, tools and DB
• North America and other developed countries are well advanced in
FCDB and applications and are source of data for other countries
• An increasing number of FCTs/FCDB are published, also on-line and
free-of-charge following US example
• Analytical data are still missing for many foods, especially in
developing countries and on food biodiversity and for processed
foods
• Food biodiversity are missing
• These data could then be used to promote food-based approaches
(without or limited fortification and supplementation)
• With more awareness by consumers and agriculture  more
nutritious and delicious food supply and more consumers eat
these foods

24. Contacts
• INFOODS website
http://www.fao.org/infoods/index_en.stm
• ruth.charrondiere@fao.org

25. Biodiversity: three levels

26. Trends in world hunger

27. Where do the hungry live?

28. Overweight trends by World Bank
income groupings
Overweight (%)
Source : WHO
CFS
Roma, 14th October 2010

30. Stunting prevalence and number
50
affected in developing countries
48.6 190
Number of stunted (millions)
40.3 39.3
40
37.7 38.2
138
Stunting (%)
30
27.6
23.7 200 150 100 50 0 100
18.1
20
60
13.5
45 51
10
13 10 7
0
1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Source: Department of Nutrition, World Health Organization AFRICA ASIA LATIN AMERICA
CFS
Roma, 14th October 2010

31. Overweight prevalence and number
affected in developing countries
Number of overweight (millions)
8.5 18
6.8 6.8 6.9 14 13
Overweight (%)
13
5.7
20 0 15 10 5 0
4.9
6 4 2
4
3.7 7
3.2
4
4 4 4
1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Source: Department of Nutrition, World Health Organization AFRICA ASIA LATIN AMERICA
CFS
Roma, 14th October 2010

33. Millennium Development Goals
Goal 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and
hunger
– Reduce by half the proportion of people who
suffer from hunger
Goal 7. Ensure environmental
sustainability
– reverse the loss of environmental resources
– reduce biodiversity loss

34. CBD Conference of the Parties
Decision VII/32 (Kuala Lumpur, 2004)
• Noting the linkage between biodiversity, food and nutrition and the
need to enhance sustainable use of biodiversity to combat hunger
and malnutrition, and thereby contribute to target 2 of goal 1 of the
Millennium Development Goals
• Requests ...FAO ...to...bring forward options for consideration by the
Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting for a cross-cutting
initiative on biodiversity for food and nutrition...to work together
with relevant organizations, in order to strengthen existing
initiatives on food and nutrition, enhance synergies and fully
integrate biodiversity concerns into their work.
Decision VIII/23A (Curitiba, 2006)
• Adopts the framework for a cross-cutting initiative on biodiversity
for food and nutrition.
The COP is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention
through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings.

35. Improving the Evidence

36. Food Biodiversity w
• Ne
Two Nutritional Indicators for Biodiversity in English,
French and Spanish:
1. on food composition (FAO, 2008)  yearly reporting (in 2008
over 4700 foods reported, in 2011 a total of 12800 mainly from
scientific literature)
2. on food consumption (2010 and 2011)  reporting every
second year (in 2009 over 3000 food reported in food
consumption surveys on food biodiversity, in 2011 increase to
4900 foods)
• FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Database for New
Biodiversity. Only analytical data. First edition in 2010
with 2400 foods, in 2011 with 2600 foods, and in April
2012 over 6000 foods

37. Biodiversity & Nutrition Rationale
• Wild species and intraspecies biodiversity have key roles in
global food and nutrition security
• Different varieties have statistically different nutrient contents
• Acquiring nutrient data on existing biodiversity needs to be a
prerequisite for decision-making in GMO work
• Nutrient content needs to be among criteria in cultivar
promotion
• Sample and generate nutrient data for wild foods and
individual cultivars
• Compile these data systematically and centrally and
disseminate widely
• Include biodiversity questions and/or prompts in food
consumption surveys
• Acquiring nutrient data and intake data for varieties is
essential in order to understand the impact of biodiversity on
food security

38. Food Biodiversity
Resource Nutrient
Wheat, cultivated Triticum Protein, amino acids,
and wild four species B-vitamins, vitamin
100+ varieties E, fatty acids
Apricots Prunus armeniaca, ß-carotene, lutein,
more than 140 lycopene,
varieties anthocyanins,
vitamin C
Grapes Vitis vinifera Vitamin C, organic
Thousands of varieties acids, anthocyanins,
resveratrol, many
phytochemicals

39. Extent of genetic uniformity in rice

40. Cultivar Differences in Nutrient Content

41. International Rice Commission
20th Session
The Commission recommended that:
• Existing biodiversity of rice varieties and their
nutritional composition need to be explored before
engaging in transgenics.
• Nutrient content needs to be among the criteria in
cultivar promotion.
• Cultivar-specific nutrient analysis and data
dissemination should be systematically
undertaken.
FAO (2002). Report of the International Rice Commission 20th Session (23-26 July 2002,
Bangkok). FAO, Rome.

42. Traditional use and availability of aquatic biodiversity
in rice-based ecosystems
Cambodia China Laos
Fish 70 52 27
Crustaceans 6 2 5
Molluscs 1 4 8
Amphibians 2 4 10
Insects 2 3 16
Reptiles 8 - 7
Aquatic Plants 13 19 20
Total 102 84 93
Source: Balzer, Balzer, Pon, 2002; Luo, Xaypladeth

43. International Rice Commission
20th Session
The Commission recommended that:
• Member countries should promote the sustainable
development of aquatic biodiversity in rice-based
ecosystems and policy decisions and management
measures should enhance the living aquatic resource
base.
• In areas where wild fish are depleted, rice-fish farming
should be considered as a means of enhancing food
security and securing sustainable rural development.
• Attention should be given to the nutritional contribution of
aquatic organisms in the diet of rural people who
produce or depend on rice.
FAO (2002). Report of the International Rice Commission 20th Session (23-26 July 2002,
Bangkok). FAO, Rome.

44. Sweet potato varieties:
α - and β-carotene, mg/100g fresh wt
Variety %Moisture β-carotene α-carotene
Orange Flesh
Excel 77.8 (0.8) 12.8 (0.1) < 0.1
Kona B # 77.8 (0.6) 6.7 (0.2) 1.5 (0.2)
Regal 77.2 (2.1) 13.1 (0.7) < 0.1
UH 71-5 # 70.3 (1.1) 8.0 (0.1) < 0.1
Yellow/White Flesh
Hoolehua Red # 70.4 (2.7) 0.2 (0.1) < 0.1
Satsuma # 68.3 (0.2) 0.6 (0.1) < 0.1
n=6, values in parentheses are standard errors. # Varieties are recommended by the University of Hawaii Extension
Service for good yield and disease resistance. Source: A. S. Huang, L. Tanudjaja, D. Lum. Journal of Food
Composition and Analysis, Vol. 12, No. 2, Jun 1999, pp. 147-151.

45. Bananas and vitamin A
<5 µg carotenes
<8500 µg carotenes

46. Differences in food composition
Protein Fibre Iron Vitamin C Beta-Carotene
g g mg mg mcg
Rice 5.6 - 0.7 - 6.4
14.6
Cassava 0.7-6.4 0.9-1.5 0.9-2.5 25-34 <5-790
Potato 1.4-2.9 1-2.23 0.3-2.7 6.4-36.9 1-7.7
Sweet 1.3-2.1 0.7-3.9 0.6-14 2.4-35 100-23100
potato
Taro 1.1-3 2.1-3.8 0.6-3.6 0-15 5-2040
Eggplant 9 - 19 50 - 129
Mango 0.3 - 1.0 1.3-3.8 0.4-2.8 22-110 20 – 4320
GAC 6180 – 13720
Apricot 0.8-1.4 1.7-2.5 0.3-0.9 3.5-16.5 200-7000 (beta
carotene
equivalent)
Banana 0.1-1.6 2.5-17.5 <1 – 8500

47. Impact of food biodiversity on dietary
adequacy
Banana β-carotene Banana intake Vitamin A %RDI for vitamin A
content in in Philippines intake through covered by banana
mcg/100 g in g/d/p banana in intake
mcg RE/d/p
USDA 26 93 4 0.7
Lacatan 360 93 56 9.3
Utin Iap 8510 93 1320 220

48. 26th FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EUROPE
Innsbruck, Austria, 26-27 June 2008
•
Promotion of Traditional Regional
Agricultural and Food Products: A Further Step
Towards Sustainable Rural Development
The Conference
• Many delegations highlighted the Mediterranean Diet as rich in
biodiversity and nutritionally healthy. The promotion of the
Mediterranean Diet could play a beneficial role in the sustainable
development of agriculture in the Mediterranean region.
• remarked that the goal of increased global food production,
including bio fuel, should be balanced against the need to protect
biodiversity, ecosystems, traditional foods and traditional
agricultural practices.

49. Challenges
BIODIVERSIT
BIODIVERSITY Y

51. Technical Workshop
Biodiversity and Sustainable Diets
31 May & 1 June 2010

52. Survey Results

53. Survey Results

54. Definition of
Sustainable Diets
Sustainable Diets are those diets with low
environmental impacts which contribute to food and
nutrition security and to healthy life for present and
future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and
respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally
acceptable, accessible, economically fair and
affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy;
while optimizing natural and human resources.

55. Code of Conduct for Sustainable Diets
Premable
• Recognizing that the health of humans cannot be isolated
from the health of ecosystems;
• Conscious that food is an unequalled way of providing
ideal nutrition for all ages and life cycles/stages;
• Recognizing that the conservation and sustainable use of
food biodiversity is an important part of human and
ecosystem well-being;
• Recognizing that when ecosystems are able to support
sustainable diets, nutrition programmes, policies and
interventions supporting the use of supplements, RUTF,
fortificants, and infant formulas are inappropriate and can
lead to malnutrition, and that the marketing of these food
substitutes and related products can contribute to major
public health problems...

56. WATER
Animal protein
“costs” more water
protein content and
protein quality
calculations
calculations per
100g dry matter
protein waste with
intakes above
recommendations
= water waste
water cost for other
foods+nutrients

57. Livestock
Composition of milk from minor dairy
animals and buffalo breeds: a
biodiversity perspective
Elinor Medhammar, Ramani Wijesinha-
Bettoni, Barbara Stadlmayr, Emma Nilsson,
Ute Ruth Charrondiere, Barbara Burlingame

58. Nutrients, ecosystems and
traditions
• Mongolia
– landlocked
– food insecure
• n-3 fatty acids
– FAO/WHO = 2 g/day
• Mares’ milk, local
breed, genetic trait
• Biodiversity of
grasslands

59. COP 10
• Tackle destructive
impacts of food
production
• Plan how the world
achieves food
security before
ecosystems reach
critical tipping points
• Address the root
cause of the problem:
the ways in which we
meet our need for
food.

60. Biodiversity and nutrition
• Dietary energy supply can be
satisfied without diversity
• Micronutrient supply cannot be
satisfied without diversity