Matvaredatabaser

Matvaredatabaser are structured data repositories that store information about food products, including ingredients, nutritional composition, allergens, packaging details and product identifiers. They are used by industry, regulators, researchers and consumers to support labeling, dietary assessment, food safety, and product development.

Contents typically include product name and brand, category, ingredients list, allergen information, nutrition facts (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, salt), portion size and unit, packaging description, country of origin, and manufacturer contact. Many databases also track barcodes, certifications (organic, non-GMO), production methods, and dating information such as best-before dates. Data may be represented per 100 grams or per serving and aligned with standardized coding systems.

Standards and interoperability are important for comparison and integration across systems. Databases often adopt international or regional conventions for nutrient units, classification schemes, and allergen labeling. In Europe, regulatory requirements such as nutrition declarations influence the content, while projects in the Nordic countries and other regions pursue harmonized data models through networks like EuroFIR and national databases. Global references include large public resources as well as country-specific datasets maintained by health authorities, research institutions or industry groups.

Access and quality vary by database. Some are publicly accessible with APIs and downloadable datasets, while others are restricted to licensed users. Regular updates, transparent provenance, and documentation of data sources are key for reliability. Users typically rely on matvaredatabaser for diet planning, epidemiological research, labeling automation, and consumer information.