India Releases New Indian Food Composition Tables to Strengthen Nutrition Research

Team L&M

India has joined the elite group of nations with its own comprehensive food composition database with the release of the Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT). The reference document is expected to significantly strengthen nutrition research, diet planning, and public health policy in the country.

The IFCT, a key resource for nutritional evaluation and dietary analysis, was released by J. P. Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, during the International Symposium on Food Composition in Nutrition and Health.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad have together prepared this database.

A Major Step Towards Better Nutritional Data in India

The Indian Food Composition Tables serve as a comprehensive nutrient database for foods commonly consumed across India. It will help researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals better understand dietary patterns and address nutritional deficiencies and related health disorders.

Speaking at the launch, Nadda said the database would provide valuable insights into what people are actually consuming across the country.

He also suggested that officials explore ways to make the information more accessible to the public.

“Policy makers and researchers will now get good insights into what people are consuming in India. However, we must also explore how this scientific document can benefit the common man,” he said.

The minister directed officials to develop a mobile application based on the IFCT so that individuals can use the data to improve their daily nutrition and well-being.

Supporting India’s Goal of Nutritional Security

According to Nadda, the database will play a crucial role in improving the efficient use of food resources and reducing unnecessary costs in nutrition programmes.

“This database, with its precise and wide nutritional information of key foods consumed across the country, will help in achieving nutritional security, particularly for the poor,” he added.

A Nationwide Food Sampling and Analysis Initiative

The Indian national food sampling and analysis programme was initiated by the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2011 to develop a completely new and updated version of the Indian Food Composition Tables.

Under the programme, priority food items from across the country were sampled and analysed for a comprehensive range of nutrients at the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad.

Updated Nutritional Data After 45 Years

The IFCT, popularly known as the Nutritive Value of Indian Foods (NVIF), provides updated nutritional data after a gap of nearly 45 years.

The large-scale database helps monitor food and nutrient availability in India and serves as an important handbook for:

• Dieticians and nutritionists

• Public health planners

• Medical and healthcare professionals

• Students of nutrition and dietetics

Wide Applications Across Health and Food Industries

The Indian Food Composition Tables will play an important role in several areas, including:

• Development of dietary guidelines

• Formulation of food regulations and safety standards

• Consumer nutrition education

• Food labeling and nutrient claims in the food industry

• Product development and reformulation

• Planning of institutional diets and sports nutrition programmes

• Food service and catering management

By providing accurate nutritional information about Indian foods, the IFCT is expected to strengthen research, policymaking, and public awareness on nutrition and health in India.