Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID)

he Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL), Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA is working with the Office of Dietary Supplements and other federal agencies to plan and develop a Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID) to monitor the levels of ingredients in dietary supplement products.  The DSID is being developed in parallel with NDL’s ongoing research effort, the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program in which high consumption food products are identified, sampled and analyzed. Accurate and complete information on the composition of dietary supplements is essential for determining their contribution to the nation’s dietary intake.

For dietary supplements, priority product categories and nutrients were identified based on prevalence reports from national surveys.  High priority supplement categories include multivitamin/minerals, antacids, calcium, other single mineral supplements, multimineral supplements, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, B vitamins and caffeine-containing products.  In addition, ingredients in dietary supplements were ranked based on exposure (NHANES data), public health significance, research priorities, and the availability of reference materials and validated analytical methods of analysis.  Using this scheme, six high priority (Tier 1) nutrients were identified for initial pilot study work:  folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A (retinol and beta-carotene), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), calcium and iron.

To aid in designing a research plan, several pilot studies have been initiated to review sample handling procedures and methods of analysis for dietary supplement products and to qualify laboratories for the analysis of nutrients and other dietary components in supplement products.   
In addition, selected representative multivitamin/mineral supplement products will be tested for the Tier 1 nutrients to gather preliminary information about the levels of these nutrients in dietary supplements.

The major product of this research will be a publicly available dietary supplement ingredient database.  Research methodologies and results will be published in scientific journals and discussed at scientific conferences.  These data will complement data on the composition of foods and will be critical in assessing the total intake of nutrients and other components from foods and supplements for its impact on the public health. The DSID will be maintained and made available to the public on NDL’s Web site:  www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.