Danish Food Information, Roskilde, Denmark.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;64 Suppl 3:S44-8. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.209.
The European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR) Network of Excellence (http://www.eurofir.eu) aims to provide validated food composition data (FCD) from European food composition databanks. However, the network covers 27 countries with different languages and food cultures, making comparisons difficult. Moreover, in 2005, only 25% of the databases included international food classification or food description. To overcome some of the challenges, it was decided to use the LanguaL thesaurus (http://www.langual.org) to index (systematically describe) and link the foods in European food composition databases (FCDBs). To facilitate food indexing, LanguaL Food Product Indexer software was introduced and several short (1-2 days) food indexing courses for FCD compilers from all participating countries were organised. Feedback between the LanguaL Technical Committee and the FCD compilers allowed the latter to improve their food indexing skills. In turn, the compilers proposed new descriptors and translations for the thesaurus. The result was a set of more than 26,000 foods in national databases and 2360 foods in specialised data sets that were LanguaL indexed and thus able to be linked to the EuroFIR network. Both the EuroFIR network and the individual FCD compilers benefit from standardised food description, allowing foods to be linked and compared across borders and language barriers. The LanguaL thesaurus has, in turn, benefited from the expertise of the FCDB compilers from different cultures.
欧洲食品信息资源（EuroFIR）卓越网络（http://www.eurofir.eu）旨在提供来自欧洲食品成分数据库的验证后的食品成分数据（FCD）。然而，该网络涵盖了 27 个具有不同语言和饮食文化的国家，使得比较变得困难。此外，在 2005 年，只有 25%的数据库包含国际食品分类或食品描述。为了克服一些挑战，决定使用 LanguaL 词库（http://www.langual.org）对欧洲食品成分数据库（FCDB）中的食品进行索引（系统地描述）和链接。为了方便食品索引，引入了 LanguaL 食品产品索引器软件，并为来自所有参与国家的 FCD 编制者组织了几个为期 1-2 天的短期食品索引课程。LanguaL 技术委员会与 FCD 编制者之间的反馈使后者能够提高他们的食品索引技能。反过来，编制者为词库提出了新的描述符和翻译。结果是在国家数据库中获得了超过 26000 种食品和专门数据集 2360 种食品的 LanguaL 索引，从而能够与 EuroFIR 网络链接。EuroFIR 网络和各个 FCD 编制者都受益于标准化的食品描述，使得食品能够跨越国界和语言障碍进行链接和比较。反过来，LanguaL 词库也受益于来自不同文化的 FCDB 编制者的专业知识。
