National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme

Implemented by FAO in collaboration with FPMU/Ministry of Food and Disaster Management

with financial support of EU and USAID

TERMS OF REFERENCE #13

For the research proposal to be funded under NFPCSP Phase II

Food Composition Tables for Bangladesh

1. Background and Rationale
Food composition tables (FCT) are considered an essential tool for planning
interventions to improve food security, nutrition and health. FCT provide
information on the nutrient composition of foods with specific reference to energy,
nutrients (e.g. protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals) and other
important food components (e.g. fibre, phytonutrients) for each of the foods listed.
The nutrient values are either based on chemical analyses carried out in analytical
laboratories or are estimated from other appropriate data.
Reliable data on the nutrient composition of foods are critical for agricultural
planning, setting food and nutrition targets in food planning and policy, dietary and
health assessments, formulation of institutional and therapeutic diets, food and
nutrition training, plant breeding, nutrition labeling, food regulations and consumer
protection. The importance of FCT has also been well recognized in evaluating the
adequacy of diets through food consumption surveys, investigating diet and health
relationships and as an essential tool in nutrition education. FCT are also a critical
source of reference when developing dietary guidelines for different population
groups including the most vulnerable and for governments food and health
departments and health promotion.
Over the last three decades, efforts have been made to develop FCT for Bangladesh.
The first report on the nutritive value of 108 raw foods in Bangladesh was published
in the Nutritive Values of some common food stuffs (1973)1. This report was
revised, compiled with new and borrowed data, and published in 1977 by the
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (INFS) as a booklet named Deshio Khaddyer
Pushtiman (DKP)2. It was republished in 1980, 1986 and 1992. These FCTs included
data on 13 nutrients across 338 food items on a raw weight basis. In 1988, Helen
Keller International (HKI) in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP) and
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (INFS) compiled and published the first
English version of FCT for Bangladesh named Tables of Nutrient Composition of
Bangladeshi Foods3 which included old and new data from Bangladesh and some

1Institute

of Nutrition (1973). Nutritive values of some common food stuffs. In: Reports of the
Research activities of the Institute of Nutrition, University of Dacca, Institute of Nutrition (now INFS)
DU, Dhaka.
2 Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (1977). Deshio Khaddyer Poostiman (Food Value of Local
Foods), Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka.
3 Darnton-Hill et al.,(1988). Tables of nutrient composition of Bangladesh foods. Helen Keller
International, Bangladesh.

National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme

Implemented by FAO in collaboration with FPMU/Ministry of Food and Disaster Management
with financial support of EU and USAID

borrowed data from the Indian FCT4. Other organizations (e.g. Institute of Public
Health Nutrition - IPHN) and non-Government organizations (e.g. Bangladesh
Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic
Disorders - BIRDEM) also published Tables of Food Composition which originated
from DKP. Recent unpublished reports from INFS have compiled and reviewed
available and published food composition data of local foods since 19735. The effects
of cooking and processing on nutrient retention and yield have also been likewise
reported.6 7 INFS has recently developed a computerized nutrient databank
following the INFOODS Guidelines8. While this includes 20 food groups and 700+
foods (unpublished), it is important to include FCT datasets from related
organizations so as to have a comprehensive computerized data system for users to
obtain information on food composition from various sources. Additionally,
FAO/INFOODS has published in 2009 the Compilation Tool9, an Excel-based tool
for the compilation and documentation of food composition data.
Despite these efforts, the FCTs currently being used are largely outdated and lack
nutrient data of many new varieties of foods including those being consumed by
indigenous population groups. Also, the FCT are imprecise since they are based on
measures of the nutrient content of raw foods, rather than the cooked foods.
Besides, gaps exist in providing nutrient information for nutrition labeling and
preparing food exchange lists for normal and therapeutic diet planning in hospitals
and institutions in the country.
The National Food Policy Plan of Action (2008-2015)10 (areas of intervention 3.1
and 3.2) and other relevant national policies and plans emphasize the need for
updating and establishing national food composition tables. This research will
develop these FCT. This will involve critically reviewing available food composition
data from different institutes/agencies; and assessing the nutrient content of the
new varieties of foods and drinks consumed (e.g. rice, wheat, potato, fruits,
vegetables, fish, egg, fruit juice, soft drinks) consumed by the general public as well
as ethnic foods consumed by the population of the Chittagong Hill Tract - CHT and
other tribal areas. In addition, in order to facilitate users access to food composition
4 Gopalan C, Ramasastri BV and Balasubramaniam SC (1980). Nutritive value of Indian foods,
NIN/ICMR
5 Safina A (2007). Development of Food Composition Database for Bangladesh. M Sc Thesis, INFS, DU,
Dhaka.
6 Nahar B, Banu CP, Malek A, and Salamatullah Q (1988). Effect of length of storage time and cooking
on ascorbic acid and carotene contents of vegetables. Bangladesh J Sci Res; 6(1&2):137-47.
7 Begum S (2004). Improving Nutrient Composition Data of Bangladeshi Dishes by applying Cooking
Yield and Nutrient Retention Data to Recipe Calculations. MSc Thesis, INFS, DU, Dhaka.
8Rahim ATMA (2007). Bangladesh National Nutrient Databank a computerized database developed
on Microsoft Excel (for communication: torabrahim@gmail.com).
9
to be downloaded from FAO/INFOODS website http://www.fao.org/infoods/software_en.stm, together
with user guidelines
10 National Food Policy Plan of Action 2008-2015. Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU),
Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. P.
xiii.

National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme

Implemented by FAO in collaboration with FPMU/Ministry of Food and Disaster Management
with financial support of EU and USAID

data, a comprehensive national dataset, based on the INFS databank, will be

developed by drawing upon existing FCT datasets as well as from new data
generated by this project.
2.

Objectives of the study

The objective of this research project is:

a. To support the Government of Bangladesh in improving food and dietary
planning by developing a national FCT.
3.

Scope of the study

More specifically, the study will address the following issues:

Identification of foods to be included in the published FCT: selection of

important foods including major foods being reported in the last two
Household Incomes and Expenditure Surveys (HIES). In addition, traditional
foods that contribute to biodiversity11 should be included. Foods should
include raw, cooked and processed foods as well as major recipes. The foods
will be grouped in a food grouping system based on the one proposed in
Greenfield and Southgate (2003).12 The FCT will include at least 500 foods
and recipes.

Macro and micro-nutrients to be included in the FCT will be based on those

listed in the FAO/INFOODS Compilation Tool. As applicable, anti-nutrients,
bioactive compounds, allergens, toxins and selected contaminants can be
added. The selection of nutrient values for these components will follow
INFOODS guidelines and obsolete methods, definitions and components (e.g.
total carbohydrates by difference and crude fiber) will be excluded.

The collection, review, compilation and documentation of food composition

data from different sources will be carried out following INFOODS guidelines
and standards as outlined in the FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Study
Guide13 and preferably by using the Compilation Tool. Data will be derived
from international and national scientific literature, institutes/agencies e.g.:
INFS and Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry of Dhaka University (DU),
Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Rajshahi University (RU), Institute
of Food Science and Technology-IFST (Bangladesh Council of Scientific and

11www.fao.org/infoods/biodiversity/foods%20counting%20for%20Nutritional%20indicator.pdf

for
the definition of foods contributing to biodiversity
12 Greenfield, H. & Southgate, D.A.T. 2003. Food composition data production, management and use.
FAO, Rome12. Available on ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/y4705e/y4705e00.pdf)
13 Available on http://www.fao.org/infoods/publications_en.stm

National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme

Implemented by FAO in collaboration with FPMU/Ministry of Food and Disaster Management
with financial support of EU and USAID

Industrial Research-BCSIR), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

(BARI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Atomic
Energy Commission (BAEC), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases and
Research - ICDDR,B and other relevant organizations in Bangladesh.

Aggregation and completion of missing data: missing values will be completed

through estimation and calculation (in the reference database). Where
relevant this will also involve borrowing from other data sources, such food
composition tables from other countries (e.g. from ASEAN or India14 15). For
missing data on key foods that cannot be borrowed from other secondary
sources, a laboratory analysis is envisaged: at least 20 key foods will be
analyzed for missing nutrients including bioactive compounds. All
compilation steps will be properly documented. The nutrient values for
cooked foods as well as for recipes will be calculated using yield and retention
factors and by applying the mixed recipe calculation system.

Validation: Participatory workshops involving different stakeholders

including end-users of the FCT will be held to validate the FCT and receive
recommendations for improvement, finalization and publication of FCT.

The study will deliver:

A draft inception report within 3 weeks from the date of signing of the
contract. The inception report will detail the research programme and the list
of components and foods for which food compositional data will be allocated,
together with the research methodology (including laboratory analysis) of the
food and component selection.

A final inception report within 2 months from the date of signing of the
contract. The NFPCSP will provide feedback to the draft inception report
within 3 weeks of its submission. The research institution will then have 2
additional weeks to finalize and submit the final inception report.

An interim report, within 5 months from the date of signing of the contract,
presenting the archival database compiled using the Compilation tool version
1.2.116 with the compiled data for the agreed components and foods.

Draft FCT, within 10 months from the date of signing of the contract, which will
include at least 500 foods and recipes, as available, in forms as consumed and
will aim to have a complete dataset for at least 30 nutrients in the main table

14 Gopalan et al (2009) Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, NIN, ICMR, Hyderabad, India (Reprinted
Version)
15 Puwastien et al ( 1999) Thai Food Composition Tables, INMU, Salaya, Thailand.
16 Available on: http://www.fao.org/infoods/software_en.stm

National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme

Implemented by FAO in collaboration with FPMU/Ministry of Food and Disaster Management
with financial support of EU and USAID

and as appropriate annexes for selected values of amino acids, fatty acids, and
bioactive components.

Draft reference database, within 10 months from the date of signing of the
contract, compiled using the Compilation tool version 1.2.1 with the complete
dataset for the agreed components and foods, including draft annexes and the
draft FCT which will also list all recipes together with the amounts of
ingredients and brief cooking description, compilation method, food grouping,
nutrient definition, etc.

Final FCT and database, within 12 months from the date of signing of the
contract, to be delivered in printed and electronic form. It will include the
feedback and adjustments required by the NFPCSP

4.

Duration and funding available

Maximum duration: 12 months
Maximum funding available: US$50,000