Recent studies have raised concerns about the health effects of dietary exposure to trace elements. An estimated 40 percent of the world's population suffers from developmental and metabolic functional disorders due to trace element deficiencies. Conversely, there is an established link between excess intake of mineral components and diseases of th

Food composition data are useful throughout the food system for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, improved processing methods that ensure greater nutrient retention in foods, nutrition labelling, and to inform, educate and protect consumers through food-based dietary guidelines, nutrition education and communication, and legislation. The FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Table for Western Africa (WAFCT 2019) is an update of the West African Food Composition Table of 2012, which lacked some important components, foods and recipes. WAFCT 2019 contains almost three times as many food entries and double the number of components, with increased overall data quality. Many of the data points from WAFCT 2012 have been replaced with better data – mostly analytical data from Africa, with a special emphasis on Western Africa. These improvements are essential to understanding the nutrient composition of foods in the region and to promoting their appropriate use. WAFCT 2019 is the result of four years of collaboration among INFOODS network researchers in Africa and the Nutrition and Food Systems Division of FAO, and was developed as part of the International Dietary Data Expansion (INDDEX) Project, implemented by Tufts University’s Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These new data from WAFCT 2019 will support further research towards an expanded and improved evidence base and will support better, more informed decisions and effective policies and programmes for improved nutrition in Africa.

Data on the composition of foods are essential for a diversity of purposes in many fields of activity. "Food composition data" was produced as a set of guidelines to aid individuals and organizations involved in the analysis of foods, the compilation of data, data dissemination and data use. Its primary objective is to show how to obtain good-quality data that meet the requirements of the multiple users of food composition databases. These guidelines draw on experience gained in countries where food composition programmes have been active for many years. This book provides an invaluable guide for professionals in health and agriculture research, policy development, food regulation and safety, food product development, clinical practice, epidemiology and many other fields of endeavour where food composition data provide a fundamental resource.

Set includes revised editions of some issues.