The database files are provided in Excel format, and are developed for people wanting to load the information into their own software and manipulate it for different purposes.
The Excel database comprises five core files:
Food file
The food file contains background information relating to each food.
Download:
Release 2 - Food Details (Excel 331KB)
The table below summarises the information reported in the food file.
Field |
Description of field |
|---|---|
| Key | A unique code used to identify each food. |
| Name | Name used to describe the food. |
| Common Names | Other names used to describe the food. |
| Description | Detailed information about the food, including its appearance, texture, production and preparation. |
| Scientific Name | Scientific name of the plant or animal food (if applicable). |
| Derivation | Indicates whether the majority of data for the particular product was analysed, calculated, borrowed or from labels etc. |
| Nitrogen Factor | Used to calculate protein content. Note that all foods with a derivation of recipe have been allocated a nitrogen factor of 0 by default, as individual nitrogen factors have been applied at the ingredient level. |
| Fat Factor | Used to calculate mass of fatty acids, together with other data. Note that all foods with a derivation of recipe have been allocated a fat factor of 0 by default, as individual fat factors have been applied at the ingredient level. |
| Specific Gravity | Density of a substance relative to that of water (grams per millilitre); provided for liquid foods. Note that all solid foods have been allocated a specific gravity of 0 by default. |
| Sampling Details | Includes information on where the nutrient data were obtained, such as the number of samples purchased for analysis, the date and place of purchase, whether the data were imputed or borrowed etc. |
| Analysed Portion | Part and/or proportion of the food that is typically consumed, e.g. 80% (flesh and skin) and has been analysed. |
| Unanalysed Portion | Part and/or proportion of the food that is typically not consumed, e.g. 20% (core and seeds) and has not been analysed. |
| Sort Order | The order in which the product will appear from 1 onwards. |
Nutrient file
The nutrient file contains the nutrient data available for each food, with the nutrient data provided in two ways:
TAB 1 Per 100 g – all foods and all beverages are reported per 100 g edible portion
TAB 2 Per 100 mL – beverages and other liquid foods only, reported per 100 mL edible portion.
Download:
Release 2 - Nutrient file (Excel 2.22MB)
Field |
Description of field |
|---|---|
| Key | Food identification code used to identify each food. |
| Nutrient ID | Nutrient identification code (shorthand way of presenting the nutrient e.g. Protein is 'PROT'). |
| Description | Full nutrient name e.g. 'Protein'. |
| Scale | Units in which the nutrient is presented e.g. grams. |
| Value | Value of the nutrient reported. |
| Category | Nutrient category the nutrient belongs to e.g. Calcium belongs to the 'MNS' category. |
Recipe file
The recipe file contains information on the ingredients used to derive recipe foods, including weight change factors.
Download:
Release 2 - Recipe file (Excel 2.22MB)
The table below summarises the information reported in recipe file.
Field |
Description of field |
|---|---|
| Recipe Key | Food identification code used to identify each recipe. |
| Recipe Food Name | Name commonly used to describe the food. |
| Recipe Weight Change (%) | Weight change on a percent basis after the food has been cooked. |
| Ingredient Key | Ingredient identification code. |
| Ingredient Name | Name commonly used to describe the ingredient. |
| Ingredient Weight (g) | Weight of the ingredient in grams. |
| Ingredient Retention Factor | Retention factor identification code. Note: more detailed information on the retention factors used in the recipe can be found in the 'Retention Factor' file. |
Retention factor file
The retention factor file contains information regarding nutrient retention for food ingredients that have been processed by heating, cooking etc.
Retention factors are used to take into account the effect of processing factors such as light, heat, oxidants and leaching on the levels of nutrients in foods. These factors are particularly relevant for alcohol, minerals and vitamins. Retention factors will vary depending on the food and on the method of processing.
The nutrient retention factors used in the Australian Food Composition Database have been derived largely from United States Department of Agriculture databases.
Download:
The table below summarises the information reported in the file.
Field |
Description of field |
|---|---|
| Retention Factor | Numeric retention factor identification code. |
| Retention Factor Description | Name commonly used to describe the food and preparation/cooking method. |
| Original USDA Retention Factor Description | The retention factor description as originally reported in the USDA database. |
| Nutrient Name | Describes the full nutrient name the retention factor is related to e.g. Thiamin. A value is then provided for each retention factor and nutrient. |
Measures file
The measures file contains information on common serve sizes for some foods. This file is intended to support the Release 2 online search function which reports nutrient data both per 100 g/mL and per common measure for some foods. This file does not report a measure for each food and does not contain densities.
Note that measures for some liquid foods are reported as grams rather than millilitres. For example, the nutrient profile for yoghurt is per 100 mL while the measure is for a 150 g tub. In this case, the profile for the 150 g tub is not equivalent to 150 mL because the specific gravity is not 1.
Download:
Field |
Description of field |
|---|---|
| Key | FSANZ specific 8-digit alpha numeric food identification code. |
| Name | Identifies as accurately as possible the food or beverage consumed during the AHS. |
| Measure ID | FSANZ specific 5 digit numeric measure identification code. |
| Quantity | The number of food measures (e.g. 1). |
| Measure Descriptor 1 | The major measure descriptor e.g. biscuit |
| Measure Descriptor 2 | The sub-major measure descriptor e.g. round or square |
| Measure Descriptor 3 | The minor measure descriptor e.g. regular or mini |
| Measure Descriptor 4 | The brand specific measure descriptor e.g. all brands or Arnott's |
| Gram Weight | The mass of the food measure in grams. |
| Volume | The volume of the food measure in milliliters if applicable. |
| Measure Derivation | Describes where the measure came from. Includes descriptions such as Label Data, Borrowed, Imputed, Estimated etc. |
| Measure Deviation Description | More detailed description of the measure derivation. Includes information on how the measure was estimated or from which product label the measure was taken. |
Other documentation and files