AUSNUT Special Edition – Release 3
Australian Food and Nutrient Database for Nutrition Labelling
AUSNUT Special Edition 3 database is based on AUSNUT 1999 and is a compilation of three inter-related data files containing food and nutrient information on Australian foods.
AUSNUT Special Edition 3 was developed to support FSANZ’s Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC), a web-based nutrition labelling tool that assists food manufacturers and retailers work out average nutrient quantities for the purposes of nutrition labelling.
AUSNUT Special Edition 3 is available separately to the NPC, primarily as a resource for commercial software developers who are interested in producing customised nutrition labelling software, and food companies that already have a nutrient database to which they wish to incorporate these additional nutrient data. However, AUSNUT Special Edition 3 may be appropriate for use by any business involved in the production and sale of food.
What do the AUSNUT Special Edition 3 files contain?
The AUSNUT Special Edition 3 database contains three data files formatted in tab-delimited ASCII. The data files are briefly described below and sample files presented in Excel 2000 format
Food File
Food names for approximately 4,000 foods in the database, including food descriptions and brand name pointers (where appropriate) are provided. Each food is assigned an 8-character alphanumeric FOOD ID consistent with that used in ASUNUT99. Specific gravities for 590 beverages and other liquid foods have also been provided.
Nutrient Files
Nutrient values for the seven nutrients that must be declared on a nutrition information panel (including energy (kJ), protein, fat (total), saturated fat, carbohydrate (available), sugars (total available) and sodium) are presented in two file formats. Nutrient.txt presents a relational table suitable for import into database management software. Nutmatrx.txt presents a matrix table (one line per food) suitable for import into spreadsheet applications.
How does AUSNUT Special Edition 3 differ from AUSNUT 1999?
AUSNUT Special Edition 3 is based on AUSNUT 1999. However, a number of changes have been made to AUSNUT 1999 to produce the Special Edition 3, to make it appropriate for nutrition labelling. These major changes are highlighted below:
AUSNUT 1999 | AUSNUT SPECIAL EDITION 3 |
A suite of seven data files including two nutrient files (provided in alternate formats), a food file, recipe file, nutrient retention factor file, food measure file and nutrient definition file. | A suite of three data files including two nutrient files (provided in alternate formats), and a food file. |
Nutrient values for 4554 foods. | Nutrient values for 4044 foods. Although some foods have been omitted, a small range of new foods and ingredients that are important to food manufacture have been added. |
Nutrient values for 28 nutrients not including sodium. | Nutrient values for the 7 nutrients that must be declared on a nutrition information panel. Values for carbohydrate and energy have been revised and sodium values, which were previously unavailable, have been included.
|
How do I obtain AUSNUT Special Edition ?
AUSNUT Special Edition 3 is freely available to all interested parties via email, compressed as a zip file. When extracted from zip and fully expanded the data files will occupy approximately 2.6MB of hard disk storage space.
If you would like to order the AUSNUT Special Edition 3 database please email npc@foodstandards.gov.au.
Please provide the following contact details, title, name, postion, organisation, postal address, telephone number, fax number, and email address, as minor updates/revisions to the data files or explanatory notes can then be forwarded to you. If you do not wish to have your contact details recorded, please indicate this in the email, but be aware that you will not then be able to be advised of future updates or revisions.