title: Food composition databases for effective quality nutritional care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of this study was to validate a nutrient-estimation method applied using OPEN, a Slovenian platform for clinical nutrition. As the most desirable validation is a direct comparison of the calculated values with the values obtained from a chemical analysis of the same food, we performed a chemical analysis and a calculation for a representative set of daily meals (n=20) and compared the data. The secondary aim was to evaluate the usability of the OPEN for dietary assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a Student's t test to observe any differences between the analysed and calculated nutrient-content data, considering the 0.01 significance level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant differences were observed in the mean contents of energy, total dietary fibre, water, macro-nutrients, and selected essential minerals: Ca, Fe, Mg, Zn, Na, P, Cu and I. We notice statistically significant difference in the mean calculated and analytical values of selenium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We noticed remarkable, but not statistically significant, difference in the mean values of iodine (-11%). The present study also indicates that the OPEN is a useful and cost-effective tool for both dieticians and patients.
authors.affiliation: Computer Systems Department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-Ljubljana, Slovenia. barbara.korousic@ijs.si
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koroušić Seljak
authors.forename: Vekoslava
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stibilj
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pograjc
authors.forename: Nataša Fidler
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Mis
authors.forename: Evgen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009753:Nutritive Value; D005791:Patient Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D017524:Slovenia; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals