In a co-authored commentary for the Archives of Internal Medicine, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley and Dr. Lynn Silver, director of the Office of Science and Policy, call on the FDA to provide consumers with a public, product-specific national nutritional database containing information similar to what can now be found on individual products in the grocery or supermarket. Because obesity and other food-related ailments, including diabetes, are on the rise, Dr. Farley and Dr. Silver, in collaboration with 35 other national health authorities and organizations, believe such a database would allow consumers to easily access and compare nutritional information for a variety of products in order to better track their caloric intake without actually holding the product in their hands.
Though ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava points out that the USDA already runs a nutrient database, she thinks that expanding and improving upon it would be a worthwhile endeavor.
ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross agrees. If the database could be completed and well-publicized, I think a significant portion of people would use it, he says. It doesn t sound like a particularly difficult or expensive project, nor do I believe that greater consumer access to such information should be discouraged.
In addition, this would be a very useful tool for nutritional professionals as they consult with their clients and other businesses, says Dr. Kava.
