OQALI: A French database on processed foods

The French Observatory of Food Quality (OQALI) is a project implemented in 2008, by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) and the French National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA). It first aim is to develop indicators on nutritional variability and on the quantity and quality of labelling parameters, by food sector and possibly by type of brands. These indicators could be weighted by market shares, so as to reflect the nutritional impact of the processed foodstuffs most frequently sold. The second OQALI aim is to follow up the possible changes of these indicators over years. Data are collected at the product level to assess this nutritional variability. Product labels or manufacturers are the main sources of information. Some foodstuffs without nutrition labelling can be analyzed. Each product is described in the OQALI database as presented on the packaging. A new product is created whenever a new element is detected on the packaging. The OQALI database is designed to monitor any nutritional or labelling changes on foodstuffs. It is an essential tool to meet public health challenges and consumer expectations on nutritional information. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.