Report on gaps and needs: potentials and limitations for the use of consumer generated food consumption data in nutrition research: D7.5

Maringer, Marcus, Ekman, Susanne, Normann, A., Klepacz, Naomi, Raats, Monique M. and Geelen, Anouk (2017) Report on gaps and needs: potentials and limitations for the use of consumer generated food consumption data in nutrition research: D7.5 European Commission 39pp.

Abstract

Aim of the present deliverable 7.5 was to identify the potentials and limitations of the tools collected in the inventory of deliverable 7.1, for getting a better understanding of the determinants of food consumption behavior. For that purpose, we investigated the data collection process of food consumption data by these tools, including its purpose, the applied dietary assessment methodology, the types of nutrients calculated and the possible contextual influences on users’ dietary behavior. In addition, in order to get an overview ofthe data associated with the collected dietary assessment data, we investigated the types of contextual data collected by the tools and the sources for exchanging and integrating contextual data from external sources such as wearables, partner apps and aggregators. We found that the vast majority of tools in the investigated sample collected consumer generated food consumption data using food diaries allowing for the input of a large variety of food consumption data from various sources. The quality of the compilation process of the underlying pre-compiled as well as user-generated food databases remains undocumented for the vast majority of investigated tools. Contextual data collected by the investigated tool, in addition to food consumption data, seems to bear interesting opportunities for a better understanding of the determinants of food consumption behavior. The type and variability of this data, however, appears to emphasize contextual data related to weight management, which has been identified as purpose for the majority of tools. Similarly, the large amount of potential influences aimed at changing users’ food consumption behaviors (e.g., reminders, social support) and the low level of detail regarding food composition estimations might also be a consequence of the numerous tools aiming at weight management in the inventory. Considering the lack of information provided by the investigated dietary assessment tools regarding the procedures and protocols for data access, the emerging networks of consumer generated data might provide a more efficient opportunity for researchers who want to access and integrate food consumption data with relevant contextual data. Further research is needed, however, in order to better understand the nature of this data networks, their access points and the types and structures of data they exchange. Supporting the compilation of food composition databases, the harmonization of consumer generated data, and the reflection on and interpretation of collected users data, might offer potentially important value propositions RICHFIELDS could provide for its various stakeholders. Application vendors, users as well as researchers could benefit from such services.

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Contributors

Author: Naomi Klepacz

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