Episode 5, KnowFOOD-COMPOSITION (Part 2): Better food composition data. Better diets. Better health.

In Part 1 of KnowFOOD-COMPOSITION, we highlighted how food composition data from research laboratories currently accelerates the volume and variety of chemical component data faster than standardized food database infrastructures support.

In KnowFOOD-COMPOSITION (Part 2), we will examine how to improve the veracity and value of publicly available food data. We will discuss potential public resources capable of storing/computing over chemical component data for increasingly diverse food varieties from around the world. We will speak with three global scientific leaders building food and health information infrastructures capable of underpinning advances in diet and health at scales not previously seen.

In particular, Naomi Fukuwaga will share about her work with USDA Food Data Central, and how its food composition database is becoming more interoperable and responsive to innovation. Bruce German will introduce the Periodic Table of Food Initiative, demonstrating how this resource can facilitate cutting edge research and enable better coordination among global food research efforts. David Wishart will tell us about fooDB and other knowledge resources available at The Metabolomics Innovation Center, and highlight recent knowledge innovations around small molecule metabolites, including their impacts/indications for human health.

Confirmed guests include:

Naomi Fukagawa, Director, USDA ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Bruce German, Professor and Food Chemist, Food Science and Technology & Director of the Foods For Health Institute, UC Davis
David Wishart, Professor, Biological Sciences and Computing Science, University of Alberta & Director of The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), Canada

KnowFOOD co-hosts:

Matthew Lange, Food informatician and President/Co-founder of IC-FOODS and
Courtney Riggle, Researcher with Food Systems Lab at UC Davis, and Co-founder of IC-FOODS