Comprehensive global review and methodological framework for developing food atlases

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Data Management

Background:

• Food atlases are vital for analyzing dietary data and supporting national health strategies.
• Accurate data collection methods have been a challenge in previous national food atlas development.
• There is an increasing demand for comprehensive food atlases for individual and population nutritional assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of existing global food atlases.
• To develop a procedure manual for creating dependable food atlases.
• To guide experts in the systematic development of national food atlases.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing 27 existing national food atlases.
• Identifying common procedures and best practices.
• Synthesizing findings into a six-step procedure manual.

Main Results:

• Six essential steps for food atlas development were identified: selecting staple foods, documenting traditional utensils, determining portion sizes, photographing foods, validation, and publication.
• The study analyzed experiences from 27 countries to refine the process.
• A procedure manual was created based on these findings.

Conclusions:

• The developed procedure manual offers a structured approach to creating reliable food atlases.
• This manual can serve as a guide for future food atlas projects, pending validation studies.
• Standardized methods are essential for effective dietary assessment and public health initiatives.