Food, Science, & Data: My Citizen Science Explorations of Indian Food

An old doctor I consulted years ago advised me to customize my food and be more mindful of the ingredients. What works for others, he said, may not suit me. I'm now convinced that understanding both food and its components can lead to better choices.

In 2023, my interest in Food, Science and Data have converged and I'm starting this blog India Food Stats to share my experiences and discoveries.

Image generated by DALL-E

I had a passing interest in ingredient lists, nutrition labels and food packaging. I've been researching about these for a hobby project to track expiry dates. This led me to stumble upon Open Food Facts, a crowdsourced database of food products from around the world licensed under the Open Database License (ODBL). I felt like an explorer discovering a treasure trove! Open Food Facts is indeed the Wikipedia of Food.

I started contributing actively to the Open Food Facts food database for India along with my wife from January 2023. The subsequent journey has been enriching through knowledge, friendships, and a sense of purpose. We now see this citizen science initiative as an enriching long-term endeavor. 

As I share my explorations and findings through India Food Stats, I invite you to join me down India’s food data rabbit hole. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crunching the Data: Analyzing India's Breakfast Cereals 🥣🥛

Image
I analyzed 55 products (with known nutrition facts as of April 24, 2024) in the Breakfast Cereals category of the India database of Open Food Facts - the 'Wikipedia of food'. The data, which has been obtained from Open Food Facts and subsequently cleaned, is available on GitHub in CSV format . You can also view that curated dataset with the Flat Viewer tool .  Here are my findings and fun facts I discovered - * Flattened rice flakes, commonly known as "poha" or "beaten rice," have long been a popular breakfast item in many regions of India. Traditionally sold loosely in retail stores, these rice flakes have recently made their way into branded breakfast cereal offerings, such as those by Tata Sampann. Poha is appreciated for its nutritional value, versatility, and ease of preparation, making it a staple in Indian households and an increasingly popular choice in the global breakfast cereal market. * Flattened rice flakes are produced by parboiling, rolling, ...
Read more

Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB): A Comprehensive Open-Access Resource for Indian Food Composition

Image
If you're keen on taking charge of your nutrition and feel limited by services like HealthifyMe or RecipeDB, you'll be happy to know about the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB) !  This well-researched, Open Access Food Database (^Github)  offers comprehensive insights into the nutritional aspects of both raw foods and commonly consumed Indian recipes, helping you manage your health better. The INDB consists of two main components: a database of nutrient composition for 1,095 individual food items and a database of 1,014 commonly consumed recipes. Nutrient details of the food items & recipes are also available together as a downloadable Excel file from the website of Anuvaad Solutions . Whether you're a health enthusiast, a researcher, or a policymaker, the INDB offers unprecedented insight into the Indian diet.  Chart from the research study shows that the nutrient content of commonly consumed composite dishes varied considerably The raw food items database was pr...
Read more

Uncovering the Best Nuts and Seeds for Protein 💪🌻

Image
I analyzed 53 products (with known nutrition facts as of August 26, 2024) in the Nuts & Seeds category of the India database on Open Food Facts, often referred to as the 'Wikipedia of food.' The data, sourced from Open Food Facts and subsequently cleaned, is available on GitHub in CSV format . You can also explore the curated dataset using the Flat Viewer tool . View, Sort, Filter the data in Flat Viewer In a market dominated by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), protein-rich nuts and seeds offer a healthier snacking alternative. The following chart shows the macro-nutrient comparison of different nuts & seeds - The data for the products is sourced from OpenFoodFacts.org & Amazon.in - Organic Tattva, Organic Peanuts Jewel Farmer Sunflower Seeds Urban Platter Roasted Salted California Pistachios Kalbavi Cashews proV California Almonds Nutraj California Walnut Kernels True Elements Chia Seeds Farmley Pumpkin Seeds Tata Sampann Flax Seeds Happilo Raw Melon Seeds ...
Read more