Chronology of Nutrients and Food Components Reported in USDA’s Dietary Intake Surveys

Objectives: An essential aspect of an effective nutrition surveillance program is quality food composition data relevant to science and health assessment. When used to support dietary intake surveys, such data enable the assessment of nutrient intakes and adequacy among a population, facilitate research into relationships between certain diseases and nutrient intakes, and assist in the formulation of national food and nutrition policies. The objective of this research is to describe the chronology of nutritive components reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in national dietary surveys and factors influencing nutrient reporting. Methods: A narrative review of the nutritive components reported in USDA's national dietary intake surveys was conducted by reviewing articles, survey documents, and food composition databases. Results: The USDA has a long history of monitoring dietary intake of the U.S. population. An essential part of this work has been the conduct of nationally representative surveys of food and beverage intake by individuals, beginning in 1965-66 with the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS). As well, USDA has been a leader in conducting research in food composition, which has provided the foundation for the survey nutrient databases used to estimate nutrient intake of the dietary data collected in national surveys. In the 1965-66 NFCS, food energy and nine nutrients were reported. During the 1970's, five additional nutrients were reported. The largest increase in reported nutrients was during the 1980-90's, when 37 nutritive components were added to the national survey reports. Today, the nutritive components reported in What We Eat in America, NHANES consist of energy and 64 nutrients and food components. This expansion has been influenced by a variety of factors, including advancements in science, health, and nutrition. Conclusions: The number of nutrients and food components reported in national surveys increased over time as the need for information was identified and composition data became available. Nutritive components reported in USDA's national dietary intake surveys reflect USDA's food composition data research and the needs of science and health policy. Funding Sources: Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M University Systems.