NIN study throws new light on food nutritious value

The new Indian Food Composition Tables serve as a handbook for the dieticians, planners, medical & health professionals and students in nutrition field

​Hyderabad: You no longer have to guess the nutritious and calorific value of the food that you eat. The new Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) show interesting details, for instance, rice protein content earlier was 6, now it is 7.5.

This is due to better varieties of rice, mechanisation of agricultural practices and soil variation. After a gap of 45 years, IFCT, a reference book for all kinds of nutritional evaluations has been released by Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad.

Notable features of the study include the D2 analysis in food, done for the first time anywhere in the world. Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Subba Rao, Deputy Director, Extension & Training Division, NIN said, “In spite of India having enough sunshine, Vitamin D deficiency is pretty high and the D2 analysis will help one and all to tweak their food habits and exactly know what type of food to include in their diet.”

Another interesting feature is the inclusion of new bioactive compounds analysed for the first time. These compounds act against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Out of the 151 parameters analysed, 37 included bioactive compounds.

“The foods were categorised under 12 food groups for dietary fibre, available carbohydrate, water and fat soluble vitamins, minerals and other elements. A list of key foods that constitute 80 per cent of the Indian diet was prioritised for analysis-based on the consumption of composition frequency of each food item.

A probability-based nationwide food sampling plan was drawn up to provide the best estimates of the nutrient profile for each food in the food supply,” said In-charge Director, NIN, T Longvah.

Amino acid profile also was analysed that tell the quality of protein. Fatty acid profile gives the quality of fat. This information would be useful for dieticians, policy makers and manufacturers. The data enables to monitor food and nutrient availability in the country. It serves as a handbook for the dieticians, planners, medical & health professionals and students of nutrition field.

It forms a basis for development of dietary guidelines, framing of food regulations & food safety, consumer education and educational materials. Food industry uses this data for labeling & nutrient claims, product development and reformulation. IFCT guides in planning of institutional diets, sports nutrition and food service industry.