The food supply, and the scientific understanding of relationships between dietary intakes and health, have evolved over the years. USDA’s food composition data resources also have evolved to meet the needs of the Health Guardian and other diverse users, including researchers, policy makers, nutrition professionals, and product developers.

   In recent years, the rapidly escalating pace of change in the food supply and the growing variety of uses for food and nutrient data have greatly enhanced the need for transparent and easily accessible information about the nutrients and other components of foods and food products. FoodData Central is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service's response to this need.