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Glycaemic index values in the Finnish food composition database: an approach to standardised value documentation

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 64, pages S68–S72 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The glycaemic index (GI) is used to describe the blood glucose-raising potential of carbohydrate-containing foods. Only a few descriptions of the addition of GI values to national food composition databases (FCDBs) exist. We tested whether the value documentation framework established within the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR) Network could be used for GI values when adding them to the Finnish FCDB.

Methods:

The list of foods requiring GI values was based on the National FINDIET 2007 Survey data and extended with foods encoded in a food-frequency questionnaire used in other nationally representative studies. The minimum quality of GI measurements was verified when gathering values from various sources, using earlier defined criteria. If a measured GI value for a food was directly available, or could be imputed or estimated, the value was added to the Finnish FCDB and documented using core standard vocabularies of EuroFIR. The GI values of composite foods were calculated using recipe calculation software.

Results:

A total of 2210 foods required a GI value. GI values for 1322 foods were available and added to the FCDB. The remaining 888 foods were composite foods and received a GI value through recipe calculation. The standard vocabularies describing the origin of the GI values, the methods used in their derivation and their qualitative characteristics were suitable for GI values.

Conclusions:

GI values can be added to FCDBs and documented using terms similar to those used for traditional food composition data. Standardised value documentation may provide transparency for GI database compilation processes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (111420, 118065), the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation and completed on behalf of the EuroFIR consortium funded under the EU 6th Framework Food Quality and Safety Programme (FOOD-CT-2005-513944).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

    N E Kaartinen & S Männistö

  2. Department of Lifestyle and Participation, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

    M E Similä, H Pakkala, T Korhonen & L M Valsta

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  1. N E Kaartinen
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  2. M E Similä
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  3. H Pakkala
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  4. T Korhonen
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  5. S Männistö
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  6. L M Valsta
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Correspondence to N E Kaartinen.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Contributors: NEK, LMV and SM contributed to the original conception of this work. NEK performed the assignment of GI values to foods in co-operation with MES, LMV and SM, and carried out the GI value documentation together with HP. TK performed the GI calculations. NEK wrote the paper and all co-authors critically appraised the paper.

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Kaartinen, N., Similä, M., Pakkala, H. et al. Glycaemic index values in the Finnish food composition database: an approach to standardised value documentation. Eur J Clin Nutr 64 (Suppl 3), S68–S72 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.214

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