Objective: To evaluate the consistency and compatibility of the energy values in present applied Food Composition Tables or Databases (FCTs or FCDs) of NeasiaFoods members.
Methods: A total 101 matching food items (N = 101 x 4) were selected from the FCTs or FCD of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. Statistical comparisons were conducted before and after water adjustment. Data profile plots, means and relative differences were provided. The significance of differences were examined by the block designed ANOVA (alpha = 0.05).
Results: The population mean of Chinese food items is significantly low than that of other three. Relative difference (mean and 95% CI) of water adjusted estimation indicate that energy of China is totally less 7.7% (-0.6% - 15.9%), 11.7% (3.5 % - 20.1 %) and 2.6% (-5.2% - 10.3%) than that of Japan, Taiwan, and Korea respectively. Major bias occurred in Nuts & seeds and Fungi & Algae, Japan and Taiwan higher 22% to 68% than China.
Conclusions: The energy values in FCTs of these NEASIAFOODS members lack consistency, especially between China and other three members. Differences of food energy conversion systems are the main effect that producing discrepancies. The effect of bias in energy contributing nutrients (e.g. fat) are considerable; analytical errors, sampling errors, food processing effects, different of food species, and accumulation of them only can be estimated through interlaboratory comparison studies on the basis of totally same food samples.