Chapter 2
Key Nutrient Analysis Concepts
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C H A P T E R O B J E C T I V E S
After reading this chapter, you will understand
how to:
n Define the Child Nutrition (CN) Database.
n Explain what constitutes a school week for a
nutrient analysis.
n Discuss weighted and simple averages
n Summarize the yield factor method used for
recipe analysis
n Explain the difference between whole foods
and fortified foods.
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N U T R I E N T A N A L Y S I S P R O T O C O L S
Overview of the Software Database
(including the Child Nutrition (CN)
Database)
A critical element in meeting SMI nutrition standards
depends on having an accurate nutrient analysis. In coopera-
tion with the USDAÕs Agricultural Research Service (ARS),
FNS developed the CN Database to provide accurate, reliable,
and centralized nutrient data for analysis of school meals.
All USDA-approved software includes the CN Database.
The CN Database contains the nutrient profiles of food
items commonly used in SFAs/schools and contains only those
nutrients that are monitored by the Child Nutrition Program.
The CN Database includes:
n Selected food items from the USDA Nutrient Database for
Standard Reference;
n USDA commodity foods;
n Nutrient profiles for USDA quantity recipes for schools;
n Many brand name commercially prepared foods provided by
food industry; and
n Yield information from USDAÕs Food Buying Guide for
Child Nutrition Programs.
These files are locked, which means the information in these
files may be accessed and copied, but may not be altered by
the local user.
Database requirements for USDA-approved nutrient
analysis software programs:
n Software must contain the most current version of the CN
Database.
C H A P T E R 2
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n The software may include brand name food items with
nutrient data that has been supplied directly to the soft-
ware vendors by food industry. The user must be able to dif-
ferentiate between food industry items in the CN Database
and food industry items added by the software developers.
n Foods and recipes added by the