Development of a food composition database for nutrient analysis of dietary intake among older Indians: the LASI-DAD Diet Study

Nutrition research is limited by inadequate infrastructure for assessing diet and nutrient intake specifically in older Indians. To support the analysis of food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data from wave 2 of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India – Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI-DAD), a food composition database (FCDB) was developed using nutritional expertise and dietary software. The Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) provided the core nutrient data and missing foods and nutrients were mapped to other international FCDBs. Where needed, the nutritional composition of raw foods in IFCT was adjusted for nutrient retention following cooking. These cooked nutrient values were compared descriptively to other international FCDBs for consistency. Most food items were matched to the IFCT (63%) of which almost half (48%) were raw foods which required cooking adjustment. Nutrients were gap-filled using United Kingdom food tables (GB21-0 and GB15; n=74%), followed by United States and Singapore food tables. A coding file for conversion of food frequency to gram weights and unique food codes was generated for linkage to the FCDB for nutrient analysis. This FCDB helps provide an important methodological foundation for nutrition infrastructure and allow researchers to determine nutrient intake in older Indians and investigate diet-related disease research. • A bespoke automated nutrient database was developed combining nutritional expertise and dietary software. • The Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) provided the core nutrient data and missing foods and nutrients were mapped to other international FCDBs. • This work helps to provide an important methodological foundation for nutrition infrastructure and allow the study of diet in chronic disease and promotion of healthy ageing in India’s rapidly ageing population.