Welcome to the FoodEXplorer

The EuroFIR FoodEXplorer facility is an innovative interface, which can be accessed online and allows its users a simultaneous search of 40 standardized and specialized food composition databases (FCDB). Users have access to a wide range of European data as well as Canada, USA, New Zealand, Japan, African and EMR countries as foods and nutrients through harmonized data description and associated nutrient value information.
The search facility includes options to search the FCDB, based on several food attributes:

Original, English or scientific food name / or part of a food name
Food groups
Langual thesauri facets (food groups and subgroups, food source, cooking method, treatment applied, preservation ,method, packaging medium, geographical regions)
Chemical food components, with value intervals, units, value types, method types, method indicator, reference type and year of publication.
FoodEX2 coding thesauri (comprehensive food classification and description system developed by EFSA)

Search results from different datasets can be compared and also downloaded as xls spreadsheets or xml files in FDTP standards (Food Data Transport Package).

How do I start to use the FoodEXplorer ?

The first step is to set up the active countries / datasets for the food search selection criteria. In order to do this select the “Select countries” option from the menu. This option opens the screen with a list of countries / datasets.

Country/dataset selection

How to set up the active countries/datasets

datasets

Countries / datasets

For each country/dataset there is a separate check box for selection. If you want to select/unselect all countries click ‘select all’ / ‘unselect all’ checkbox. When the list of active counties is selected, click the command button to confirm your dataset selection. This predefined dataset selection will be saved in the system permanently, even after you log out, until you modify it yourself again.

How can I search for the food items in the datasets ?

There are two types of search options in the FoodExplorer. The simple search (search option based on food names / or part of food names, in combination with food group selection) and the advanced search (search option based on food attributes - such as food groups, food source, cooking method, treatment, preservation, packaging, geographical region; FoodEX2 classification and food components – such as chemical components with value, interval, method, method indicator, reference definition).

How to use the simple search?

The simple search option enables you to search the database based on food name / or part of food name, in combination with one food group.
The searched input (food name or part of the food name) have to be entered into the text field. You are able to enter more than one word (e.g. “banana orange” the program will search all foods which contain both the word “banana” as well as the word ”orange”). Under the text field, there are several additional options to narrow the search criteria - to search all words; or only the containing exact string in food names and also to search only for English food name; or only for original or scientific name; or to implement the search criteria for all three given food names.
Note! - The scientific name is mostly missing from the database; it exists only for generic food items.
If you want to implement the search criteria on the whole database, click the command button. In case that you want to implement the search criteria only on one food group, click to the thumb picture of that food group.

simple_search

Simple search, based on food name / or part of the food name and food group selection

How to use the advanced search?

The advanced search, beside the search option based on food name or part of the food name, provides a possibility to define more exact search criteria, based on other food properties. In advanced search option you are able to search based on:

Food chemical components – this option allows setting a search criteria based on combination of one or more chemical parameters. The chemical parameters are grouped into the following main parameter groups:

Proximates (energy, protein, water, ash, alcohol, etc)
Carbohydrate components
Lipid components
Minerals and inorganic components
Vitamins
Fatty acids
Organic acids
Phenolic components
Nitrogen components
Food additives

advanced_search_c

Advanced Search criteria based on food chemical components

The selected chemical component parameter is possible to describe more precisely with the following attributes:

Value or range of the chemical parameter contain with unit definition together
Value type
Method type
Method indicator
Reference type
Acquisition

advanced_food_attributes

Advanced Search criteria based on food chemical components - details

Langual coding system – this system describes the food attributes and all food items in the database is coded based on following criteria:

Product type
Food source
Part of plant or animal
Physical state, shape or form
Extent of heat treatment
Cooking method
Treatment applied
Preservation method
Packing medium
Container or wrapping
Food contact surface
Consumer group/ Dietary use/ Label calm
Geographic places and regions
Adjunct characteristics of food

By selecting more than one food attribute from the appropriate tree nodes you can combine the search criteria. The “broad term” and “narrow term” options allow more detailed selection criteria meaning the selected terms and the tree nodes under that term (BT) / or only the selected terms, without the tree nodding under them (NT).

advanced_search

Advanced Search criteria based on food attributes

FoodEX2 coding system – this classification and description system which is developed by EFSA describes the food attributes in a harmonized way.
The system provides to main search options.

Search based on Exposure hierarchy
Search based on different facets

These facets are divied into following groups

Source
Part-nature
Physical state
Ingredient
Surrounding medium
Fat content
Sweetening agent
Fortification agent
Qualitative info
Alcohol content
Dough mass
Extent of cooking
Packaging format
Packaging material
Part consumed analyzed
Production method
Preparation production placed
Target consumer
Intended use
Risky ingredient
Generic term
Source commodities
Process
Purpose of raising
Reproductive level
Animal age class
Gender
Legistlative classes

advanced_search_e

Advanced Search criteria based on food FoodEX2 hierarchy and facets

Important: Food items given as a result of the advanced search criteria are only those food items which include / befit the entire search options defined under the advanced search (that contain all searched food Langual and FoodEX2 attributes and all chemical components and the entered text filter as well). If the searched criteria is complicated the query execution sometimes takes a bit longer.

The number of searched items for this advanced search is limited to maximum 10 items from each criteria.

Currently only few datasets are coded according to the FoodEX2 system.

What is the search result screen ?

This screen displays the resulted food items, based on search criteria. As default, food items are sorted according to alphabetical English name order. The are 100 resulted food items fitting into one screen. The total number of the resulted food items is also displayed on the screen. There are commands placed on the screen in order to scorll on the page, to move to the next, previous, last and first page and also to sort the resulted food items based on each column content (ascending/descending sort order).

search_result

Search result screen

How to remove the advanced search criteria?

With the options : LANGUAL CODES or/and FoodEX2 CODES or/and FOOD COMPONENTS or/and REMOVE ALL FILTERS the advanced search can be removed at the search result screen with appropriate option given on the screen. You can also remove whole filter by selecting the FoodEXplorer breadcrumb on the screen. This option returns you to the main screen of the FoodEXplorer and removes all existing search filters.

remove_advanced

Remove the advanced search criteria from the search result screen

How to compare component values from different food items?

By checking/selecting the food items for comparing and then click command button.
The content with selected food items and chemical components value will be displayed on a new screen. The screen gives a systematic and simple overview of the component content for each food item ordered by components.

compare_foods

Comparing the foods chemical component parameters

By clicking the comparing by component groups command button the selected food items chemical components contnent will be sorted and displayed on separate tags by component groups.

compare_foods_by_group

Comparing the foods chemical component parameters presented by component groups on separate tags

Note: the maximum number of food items for comparison is limited to 20 foods.

What is “MY CART” and how to put food items into it?

In the “MY CART” option you can collect the food items that are meant for later downloading. At the end of each food item row in the table there is the following picture:

. When you click this basket it becomes

and the content of the cart in the upper right corner of the screen will increase with one item. If you want to remove the food item from the “MY CART”, click once again to the

basket next to the food item and it becomes

which means that the food is removed from the “MY CART”.

my_cart

Selecting / unselecting food to the “MY CART”

How to download the content of “MY CART”?

When you select the option on the new screen, the food items from the ‘my cart’ will be displayed. On this screen you can also find the information about max number of food items for download and the number of so far downloaded items, which are allowed by the administrator.
With the option, the food items from the cart will be downloaded /saved in FDTP format. The FDTP format is the Food Data Transport Package format. It is an xml file and the structure is defined by EuroFIR standards.

The

will download and save/open food items from the cart into .xls format.

my_cart_selection

The ”MY CART” screen with data download options

Note: the maximum number of food items for download is limited up to 40 items for one download session.

How to overview all detailed data for one food item?

On the search result screen you can select the food name, which will then show the new food-detailed screen, with the detail data for the food. On this screen, beside the food name, original name and the food ID, the graph pie presents the % distribution of total energy between fat, protein and carbohydrates.
In the table below, the general data are divided into three main tabs:

Food attributes – which shows the info about food group, edible portion, nature of edible portion, serving size, piece weight, color, final preparation, special gravity, nitrogen factor, fatty acids factor, producer, distributer and retailer.
Food components – with chemical component parameters, grouped and sorted by main component groups. The following info is available for each item: selected value, unit, matrix unit, value type, method type, method indicator, reference type, citation, publication date and web address.
Langual codes – presents the complete list of assigned langual facet codes for food. This table describes food by langual code, description and note. The info is linked with the EuroFIR Langual thesauri.
FoodEX2 codes – presents the complete list of assigned FoodEX2 basic code and facets for food. This table describes food by FoodEX2 coding system.
Recipe – for food items with ingredients in background, presents the list of ingredients with amounts, the yield factors for fat, water and weight and the recipe procedure description.

The components on the component list can be sorted by:

Standard sort – presents only the components with values, sorted by component groups.
All component sort – presents the provided components with values and all other components up to priority level 4.
Alphabetical sort – presents the components with values ordered by the component names.

food_detail

Detail food chemical component list

By the selection of one component value in new window the detail information is presented containg the data for the component group, component, selected value, acquisition type, matrix unit, method type, method indicator, reference citation, date of generation, minimum value, maximum value, etc

food_detail_component

Detail food chemical component list

food_detail_langual

Detail food Langual coded facet list for food

food_detail_langual

Detail FoodEX2 code list for food

food_detail_recipe

Ingredient list and recipe preparation method for food