The objective of this project is to establish an accurate vitamin and mineral data base that can be easily updated and serve as the comprehensive reference for monitoring the supplemental vitamin and/or mineral and fortified food consumption of individuals. It addresses the need to improve methods for assessing nutrient intake. Earlier studies suggest that supplementation contributes significantly to the nutrient intake of about 1/3 of the population. The project capitalizes on the unique bar code markings which appear on many vitamin/mineral preparations as well as other more exotic dietary supplements such as bone meal, kelp, etc. Building on the data base developed in Phase I, nutrient information for each item has been converted through use of the computer so that dietary intake information is expressed on the same basis regardless of the manufacturer's labeling information. This Phase II follow-on would test the utility of the data bank through a survey of the use of nutritional supplements using a national probability sample and/or Hispanic HANES nutritional supplement usage data. The commercialization phase (Phase III) will involve marketing the use of the data base to public and private researchers.
