34th,(35th & 36th) National Nutrient Databank Conferences

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: <br/>The purpose of this application is to provide partial funding for an annual National Nutrient Databank Conference (NNDC) for scientists and educators that work with food composition data. The use of food composition data is essential to understanding the impact of nutritional factors and exposures on why people get disease, and how disease can be prevented or treated. Food composition data are critical for understanding what people eat, and how much they eat. For example, obesity occurs if food intake exceeds the body's needs. Food supplies calories and other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. The conference participants are the scientists that create and maintain these nutrient lists. The NNDC is held annually. Participants share food composition data, and discuss what food and nutrient lists scientists and policy makers need to help
guide their research and decision making. The conference program is developed largely from scientists who volunteer to present their work and with key sessions presented by invited speakers. The conferences always include presentations related to data quality, analytical methods, new food composition data, dietary supplements, data for special populations, ways to use data to assess health and technology updates. For the past 6 years, the NNDC has alternated between an independent 3-day meeting and a 1-day meeting held with another scientific meeting. In 2010 the 34th annual meeting will be held as a 3-day meeting in Grand Forks, ND. The 35th annual meeting will be held in Washington DC as a 1-day meeting, and the 36th annual meeting in 2012 will consist of a multi-day meeting Houston, TX. The value of this conference is evident in the strong following it has developed among the many
scientists and health care providers who are involved in nutrition research and practice. The primary product from this conference is publication of the conference papers to appear in a special issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (JFCA) that will be read by scientists and clinicians from around the world. The JFCA is an official publication of INFOODS (International Network of Food Data Systems), a joint project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations University. Many health care providers and food composition professionals use the publications from this conference as a source of information included in the educational and food guidance materials developed in their respective organizations. Also, the data is what the consumer sees on package labels at the grocery store. More information about this meeting is available on the
conference website: http://www.nutrientdataconf.org/ .
<p>APPROACH: <br/>The National Nutrient Database Conference (NNDC) was initiated in 1976, with joint sponsorship from The American Dietetic Association and the Academy of Pediatrics, to bring together individuals working in the area of computer applications in nutrition. The conferences have been described with three distinct phases. The first phase served to introduce the principal database workers with the work of others in the field. The second phase, roughly 1980 to 2003 was highlighted by electronic databases and sophisticated software programs that facilitated use of food composition data in research, clinical and commercial activities. The third phase was characterized by organizational developments including incorporation as a non-profit organization and formation of an elected steering committee and executive committee. The conference program is developed largely
from submitted abstracts with key sessions presented by invited speakers. Therefore, although the content changes, the call for abstracts always requests submissions under the 7 key organizational categories related to food composition: 1)Data Quality, Variability, and Bioavailability, 2)Analytical Methods and Food Sampling, 3)New data for Foods and Food Components, 4)Databases for Dietary Supplements, 5)Data for Special Population Groups, 6)Advances in using food composition data for dietary assessment and 7)Database Technology. For the past 6 years, the NNDC has alternated between an independent 3-day meeting and a 1-day satellite to the Experimental Biology meeting. In 2010 the 34th annual meeting will be held as a 3-day meeting in Grand Forks, ND. The 35th annual meeting will be held in Washington DC as a 1-day satellite, and the 36th annual meeting in 2012 will consist of a
multi-day meeting Houston, TX. The value of this conference is evident in the strong following it has developed among the many scientists and clinicians who are involved in nutrition research and practice. The primary product from this conference is publication of the conference papers to appear in a special issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (JFCA) that will be read by scientists and clinicians from around the world. The JFCA is an international peer-reviewed journal published by Elsevier and is an official publication of INFOODS (International Network of Food Data Systems), a joint project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations University. Many clinicians and food composition professionals use the publications from this conference as a source of information included in the educational and food guidance materials
developed in their respective organizations. Publication in the JFCA began in 2001, before that time individual organizers used whatever means was available to make the proceedings available to the participants. Proceedings from many of the early meetings are available from the National Technical Information Service, Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. The proceedings are also available on the conference website: http://www.nutrientdataconf.org/. In addition, the conference is promoted on multiple websites, journals and newsletters.
<p>PROGRESS: 2010/12 TO 2011/12<br/>OUTPUTS: The 35th National Nutrient Databank Conference (NNDC) was held at the Bethesda North Marriott in Bethesda, Maryland on April 8, 2011. The theme of the conference ? A Healthier Food Supply: Public-Private Partnerships for Food and Nutrient Databases--addressed some of the challenges, as well as the accomplishments, that the nutrition community is facing from a database perspective, in order to provide a healthier food supply to our nation. The conference brought together a host of global experts in government, industry, and academia to share their thoughts, vision, and hopes for the future. It also offered the opportunity to share knowledge and interact with colleagues with similar interests. Attendees participated in a survey regarding the utility of a one-day meeting. PARTICIPANTS: 35th National Nutrient Databank
Conference Planning Committee: Program Co-Chairs: Jaspreet KC Ahuja and Patty Packard; Program Committee Members: David Haytowitz, Pamela Pehrsson; NNDC Executive Committee: Susie McNutt, Westat, Chair; Lisa Jahns, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Chair-Elect; Julie Gilmore, University of Iowa, Treasurer; Rose Tobelman, General Mills, Past-Chair. NNDC Steering Committee Members: Carol Boushey, Purdue University, IN; Barbara Burlingame, FAO, Rome, Italy; Catherine Champagne, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LA; Rena Sue Day, University of Texas, TX; Josephine Deeks, Health Canada, ON; Rachel Fisher, NIH, Bethesda, MD; Lisa Harnack, University of Minnesota, MN; David Haytowitz, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD; Joanne Holden, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD; Marie Kuczmarski, University of Delaware, DE; Diane Mitchell, Penn State University, PA; Alanna Moshfegh, ARS, USDA, Bethesda,
MD; Suzanne Murphy, Hawaii; Ramkishan Rao, NIFA, USDA, Washington, DC; Laura Sampson, Harvard School of Public Health, MA; Suzanne Sanders, Coca Cola, GA; Phyllis Stumbo, University of Iowa, IA; Thea Zimmerman, Westat, OH. Contributors/Grant Support: General Mills, Westat, USDA ARS, and AFRI NIFA. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.