Over the last couple of years, there has been increased interest in bringing about compatibility of food composition tables and nutrient data banks throughout the world. This publication describes the developments which have taken place in Europe since the establishment of Eurofoods in 1982. As the foundations of any activity related to food composition tables and nutrient data banks are those existing in individual countries, a review of these tables is included together with a number of background papers. In addition, a summary of recommendations made at the initial Eurofoods Workshop in Wageningen in May 1983 together with a review of subsequent progress are also presented.
Eurofoods has been fortunate in attracting funds from the Commission of the European Communities to carry out a project to investigate the feasibility and methodology of developing an easily accessible merged data base of European food composition tables. In addition, it has been possible to start a number of other projects. One of these concerns the collection of data related to nutrient losses and gains in the preparation of foods and data on missing values in food composition tables. Another is examining the comparability of analyses obtained by different laboratories. However, progress in reaching the aims of Eurofoods has been inhibited by the lack of funds for projects and the establishment of a secretariate to coordinate and serve the various activities. The Kellogg Company of Great Britain has been generous in providing funds towards this publication.
The second major meeting of Eurofoods will be held in Norwich (UK), August 25–28, 1985, immediately after the XIIIth International Congress of Nutrition. The meeting is intended to review progress since the workshop in Wageningen in May 1983 and to lay the foundations for the future of Eurofoods.
C.E. West
