Food Databanks
The objective of the Food Databanks National Resource Platform, led by Paul Finglas, is to develop further, maintain and exploit the UK’s food composition database so that it is compatible to European standards and is integrated into the EuroFIR platform, providing single point access to other European and International nutritional databases.
Food composition databases form the basis by which dietary intake and adequacy are measured, and risk assessment made to inform policy. Having data of sufficient quality and quantity is essential for all these functions and is of strategic national importance. There are two main aims of the Platform. Firstly, its role as a national resource to further develop and manage the UK food composition database in close co-operation with the Food Standards Agency and other users in the UK. Secondly, we aim to further develop and exploit increased commercial licensing of electronic food data especially targeting novel software and web applications in the food and eHealth areas, both in the UK and more widely across Europe.
The European Food Information Resource Network (EuroFIR http://www.eurofir.net/) is a European Union-funded Network of Excellence co-ordinated by IFR, with over 50 Partners from academia, industry and governmental laboratories. Its main objective has been to develop a European food information platform with direct access to the disparate national databases, and the ability for data retrieveability/exchange between Member States. Its FP6 funding currently finishes at the end of 2009 and it has well-developed plans for continuing as a stand-alone resource (EuroFIR AISBL).
Fax: +44(0)1603 507723 
