Improving standardization of national nutrient databases for use in international settings: A Korean proof of concept

Standardized nutrient databases (NDBs) are requisite to derive reliable and comparable nutrient intake data across countries for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Recently, the first Asian version of an international standardized dietary assessment tool (GloboDiet Korean version) was developed under the Global Nutritional Surveillance Initiative framework (GloboDiet initiative). For validation and implementation of the GloboDiet Korean version within this international setting, a standardized Korean NDB was required. In this study, we systematically evaluated the available Korean food composition databases against the international standards provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization/International Network of Food Data Systems (FAO/INFOODS), with the ultimate goal of standardizing the Korean NDBs. A total of 23 food components were prioritized for validation and implementation purposes of GloboDiet Korean version, and compared in terms of modes of expression, units, definitions and analytical methods Based on this evaluation, all components were assigned to a ‘comparable’, ‘convertible’ or ‘not-comparable’ group. More than two-thirds of the components were comparable. Carbohydrate and energy values were regarded as ‘convertible’ into comparable ones. The ‘not-comparable’ components (including dietary supplements) result from lack of documentation, inappropriate methods, and/or missing values in the Korean DBs. This work is a prerequisite step towards standardization of the Korean NDBs for use in nutritional surveillance and research in international settings. Furthermore, this work will enable improvement and customization of existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for standardizing NDBs in different geographical regions.