Expert: Dr. Leo Nollet - 12/14/2004

Question
I'd like to know where I can find a list of various foods, quantifying their vitamin & mineral & other components. I have osteoporosis and am trying to regulate my daily calcium, magnesium, phosphate, vitamin D, etc. intake. I'd like something that takes most of the guesswork out of it. E.g. 100 g. of broccoli has so much calcium, so much iron, so much whatever...

I'm just new to the field of nutritional studies, so maybe a layman's explanation of the differences between your two books on food analysis (on Amazon.com) would also be good. For one thing, I'm unfamiliar with the term "Hplc." Thanks.

Answer
Dear Mark,
Go to http://www.fao.org/infoods/tables_int_en.stm for food composition tables.
My books are for scientists in food science. They are dealing with analysis techniques of food compounds. One is dealing with one method HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography); the other one is dealing wilt all analysis techniques. Meanwhile a second edition of Handbook of Food Analysis in 3 volumes is released.