Food Composition

The downloadable version of the Branded Foods Products Database became available August 15, 2018. it is accessible at this link: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets.html

Visit FNIC's Food Composition section for lists of where nutrients are found in food. To find the nutrient content of specific foods, USDA's FoodData Central is an integrated data system that provides expanded nutrient profile data and links to related agricultural and experimental research.

The trans fat content of a food item can be found by searching for the food item in the USDA's FoodData Central. Please note that the trans fat content is provided only if the food item contains trans fat. You can find an abridged list of trans fat sources on the USDA Nutrient Lists from Standard Reference Legacy (2018). 

FoodData Central contains five distinct types of data containing information on food and nutrient profiles, each with a unique purpose. Two of the data types—Foundation Foods and Experimental Foods—have never previously been available. Foundation Foods provides nutrient values and extensive underlying metadata on foods available to the U.S. consumer; Experimental Foods link to relevant agricultural research data from multiple sources.

 If you would like to look up the calcium content of a specific food, you can use USDA's online searchable database of food composition, FoodData Central, which includes five distinct types of data containing information on food and nutrient profiles, each with a unique purpose.

The "calorie" we refer to in food is actually kilocalorie. One (1) kilocalorie is the same as one (1) Calorie (uppercase C). A kilocalorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius. 

The USDA NDL has removed the USDA Database for the Added Sugars Content of Selected Foods from the NDL website. This is due to constant changes in formulations for commercial, multi-ingredient foods, the primary contributor of added sugars to the diet. NDL is not recalculating added and intrinsic sugars at this time, in part, because brand name market shares and ingredients are changed so rapidly that these estimates are more a temporary cross-section in time than fixed values.

As of October 1, 2019, the USDA Food Composition Database is no longer available. Users will be automatically redirected to FoodData Central, USDA's new integrated, research-focused data system that provides expanded data on nutrients and other foods components as well as links to related agricultural and experimental research.

According to FDA regulations , labeling potassium content on the Nutrition Facts Panel of food products is voluntary for manufacturers.  Food labeling regulations are governed by the FDA. The FDA works to make sure the Nutrition Facts Panel helps consumers make smart choices about their diet.

Information about nutrients can be found at Vitamins and Minerals. You can also visit USDA's FoodData Central for nutrient data. For a list of nutrients in foods, see FNIC's Nutrient Lists from Standard Reference Legacy.