The development of a composition database of gluten-free products

OBJECTIVE: To develop a composition database of a number of foods representative of different categories of gluten-free products in the Italian diet. DESIGN: The database was built using the nutritional composition of the products, taking into consideration both the composition of the ingredients and the nutritional information reported on the product label. SETTING: The nutrient composition of each ingredient was obtained from two Italian databases (European Institute of Oncology and the National Institute for Food and Nutrition). SUBJECTS: The study developed a food composition database including a total of sixty foods representative of different categories of gluten-free products sold on the Italian market. The composition of the products included in the database is given in terms of quantity of macro- and micronutrients per 100 g of product as sold, and includes the full range of nutrient data present in traditional databases of gluten-containing foods. RESULTS: As expected, most of the products had a high content of carbohydrates and some of them can be labelled as a source of fibre (>3 g/100 g). Regarding micronutrients, among the products considered, breads, pizzas and snacks were especially very high in Na content (>400-500 mg/100 g). CONCLUSIONS: This database provides an initial useful tool for future nutritional surveys on the dietary habits of coeliac people.