Update of the food composition database for epidemiological studies in Italy: Focus on cereals and cereal products

Food composition databases (FCDBs) are essential for dietary assessment, nutritional planning, and epidemiological research. The Italian Food Composition Database for Epidemiological Studies (BDA), first published in 1998, has undergone multiple updates to reflect dietary and market changes. This work presents the latest update, focusing on cereals and cereal products. The update, conducted from 2018 to 2022, revised nutrient composition and added new foods representative of current Italian dietary habits. The BDA complies with a standardized methodology, integrating data from national and international FCDBs, scientific literature, and nutritional labels. The updated cereals and cereal products group now includes 278 food items (49.6 % newly added) and provides information on 89 components. Missing values account for 0.99 % of the entire group. Significant changes include an increased reliance on calculated/estimated values from labels/recipes. Compared to 1998, significant changes are observed in available carbohydrates, SFA and PUFA in “Cereals, flours, pasta, bread, crackers and rusks” and “Brioches, cookies, pudding and cakes” sub-group. Additionally, sodium shows a decreasing trend in both sub-groups. The BDA, freely accessible at https://bda.ieo.it, now includes portion-based nutritional information. This and future updates are expected to enhance the accuracy of nutritional epidemiology research in Italy, ensuring data relevance and reliability.