The National Nutrient Databank Conference: What is it?☆

Abstract Food composition databases (FCDs) are a foundation of nutrition research, monitoring and surveillance of the food supply, commercial applications, and nutrition in clinical practice. The National Nutrient Databank Conference (NNDC) is a gathering of researchers and users dedicated to the development, maintenance, and use of FCDs. The NNDC has met regularly since 1976 to provide a forum for researchers and users to share information about current resources and activities involving FCDs. The NNDC is governed by a Steering Committee and led by an Executive Committee that defines the purpose of the organization, monitors the needs of the nutrition community, carries out professional responsibilities associated with FCDs, and recommends priorities for the future. In an ever-changing food marketplace, emphasis on dietary surveillance around the world, and the need for additional food composition data to answer new scientific questions, the NNDC is more critical to the nutrition community today than ever before. The annual assembly of a group of FCD experts and users with the purpose of identifying and preparing for new possibilities in food composition is critical for the future of nutrition research and clinical practice.