Consumer.es ::: Salud y Alimentación - Felipe Isidro Donate

Nutrient Data Laboratory - Frequently Asked Questions
What are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids?
These are types of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Linolenic acid, the shortest chain omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, the shortest
chain omega-6 fatty acid, are essential fatty acids. This means they cannot be synthesized by the body from other fatty acids and must
be obtained from food. The most common fatty acids of each class are linolenic (18:3), EPA (20:5), DHA (22:6) for omega-3 and
linoleic (18:2) and arachidonic (20:4) for omega-6. Some of the food sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish and shellfish, flaxseed,
walnuts, and canola oil. A computer software package, KIM (Keep it Managed) can be downloaded from
http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids. This software evaluates the balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your diet. A scientific
discussion of physiological effects of omega-3 fatty acids can be found on the American Heart Association Web site.
Where do I get information on nutrition labeling?
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates the labeling of meat and poultry. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) is responsible for all other foods. Information on labeling is available from FDA's Home Page, or in a more consumer oriented
Q&A section, or by e-mail.
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Where can I get information about the Child Nutrition Database (CN)?
The Child Nutrition Database (CN), previously referred to as the National Nutrient Database for Child Nutrition Programs
(NNDCNP), serves the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs as part of the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children.
Additional information on the CN database and a comparison of the SR and the CN Database is available.
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My son/daughter has a science fair project. How does he/she analyze a food for a
particular nutrient?
Methods for determination of nutrients in foods are published in the "Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International," The 16th
edition comes in 2 volumes. If only earlier editions of the publication can be found, some methods such as the titrimetric method for
vitamin C, have not changed in many years. There are also other publications which your child's science teacher can recommend.
Caution: Many methods of analysis for foods require the use of strong chemicals, use of specialized equipment and adult supervision.
Age and experience of the student should be considered when experiments are planned. Younger students may be encouraged to
conduct simple experiments which are planned with the teacher's or parent's guidance.
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Do you have resources for teachers?
ARS's Information Staff has prepared "Science 4 Kids." which is a series of stories about what scientists do here at the ARS. They
have also prepared the "Whiz Kid" Activity Packet, which is intended for teachers, and is chock-full of fun and clever graphics to
introduce agricultural research topics.
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Last modified: August 15, 2002
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