Introduction: Noncommunicable diseases, which account for 71% of annual global deaths, necessitate the implementation of targeted legislative measures to reduce exposure to risk factors, particularly those related to nutrition. Accurately assessing these risk factors is challenging owing to infrequent national surveys, high costs, and uncertainties from human behavior. Thus, addressing these issues is crucial. This study aimed to develop a model for estimating dietary exposure. Methods: Our study utilizes the National Nutrient Consumption (NNC) model, which employs a probabilistic and cost-effective approach. This model leverages open data and focuses on supply chain dynamics and uncertainties, integrating import, production, and stock levels. It estimates commodity supply, consumption, and nutrient intake using predictive coefficients from historical data. Model accuracy was assessed using mean absolute error, correlation coefficient, and one-sample t test. The findings were evaluated against the recommended intake outlined in the Technical Regulation of Food Labeling (SFDA.FD 2233). Results: The model demonstrated high accuracy in estimating dietary intake, with minimal error margins. For both genders, the 50th percentile nutrient exposure exceeded the reference values – with males consuming 3,310 kcal (+65%), 144 g of total fat (+105%), 33.8 g of saturated fat (+69%), 86 g of free sugar (+72%), and 2,545 mg of sodium daily (+0.06%); females consumed 3,306 kcal (+65%), 143 g of total fat (+104%), 33.5 g of saturated fat (+67%), 86 g of free sugar (72%), and 2,500 mg of sodium (+4%). Conclusion: The model, both cost-effective and accurate, identifies elevated nutritional risk factors in Saudi Arabia, informing targeted health policies.

Introduction: An atlas is a trustworthy resource created from precise data collection that serves as a guide for communities. A food atlas is a useful tool for analyzing dietary data. There is a growing need for a food atlas that is part of the nation’s strategy to help the health sector with specific nutritional or dietary assessments of individual consumption and overall wellbeing. Although researchers previously attempted to create a food atlas on a national level, the process of data collection was not well defined.Methods: This study provides an overview of global food atlases that can be used to develop a procedure manual to guide experts in creating a dependable food atlas.Results: To date, 27 countries have developed food atlases for various reasons. After examining these countries’ experiences, six important steps in the procedure manual that should be considered when developing a food atlas were identified: choosing the most consumed food, using traditional cooking utensils, determining portion sizes, capturing photographs of the food, validating the food atlas, and publishing the food atlas.Discussion: This procedure manual can be used as a guide until a validation study is conducted.

Introduction: Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, with 80% worldwide consumption. Despite its popularity, limited research has evaluated caffeine exposure in Saudi Arabia (SA). Given that excessive caffeine intake can cause symptoms such as increased heart rate, headaches, and hyperactivity, understanding community-level consumption patterns is critical. This study aimed to assess caffeine consumption and exposure among Saudi consumers by assessing caffeine consumption levels in the adult population of SA.Methods: A cross-sectional, Internet-based questionnaire study was conducted between September 2021 and January 2022. The questionnaire comprised 92 questions divided into three sections: demographic characteristics, a food frequency questionnaire on caffeine-containing products, and practices related to caffeine consumption.Results: A total of 1,039 participants were included in the study. The average daily caffeine exposure among Saudi adults was 218 mg/day. The highest caffeine exposure was from hot coffee (64.8 mL/day), soft drinks (41.9 mL/day), iced coffee (35.7 mL/day), tea (26.3 mL/day), energy drinks (16.5 mL/day), and chocolate (3.2 mg/day). This level of consumption falls within the recommended safe limit for healthy adults, which is 400 mg/day.Discussion: Caffeine consumption among Saudi individuals largely falls within the recommended safe range. Further research should investigate the long-term health effects of caffeine, emphasizing the need for public health initiatives to encourage recommended consumption.

Food composition databases are essential for dietary assessment, nutrition research, clinical practice, food regulation, and public health policymaking. However, Saudi Arabia has historically depended on international databases that include foods that do not represent local consumption, traditional dishes, and national fortification practices. This study developed a structured computational framework for the Saudi Food Composition Database (SFCD) to facilitate access to national food composition data. Food data were compiled from local and international sources, reviewed, standardized, matched, and classified according to an established food-group hierarchy. The developed bilingual web-based platform provides structured access to 2,818 food items covering 322 nutrients. Foods in the SCFD were systemized into 18 main groups, 226 subgroups, and 44 sub-subgroups. The framework includes functions such as food and nutrient searching, food comparison, and systematic data management, in addition to support for efficient updating, scalability, and reliable access for users and administrators. The SFCD provides a centralized national resource that improves the accessibility and usability of food composition information in Saudi Arabia. It strengthens dietary and nutrient intake assessment, epidemiological and clinical research, nutrition labelling, dietary guideline development, and evidence-based food and nutrition policy development. Continuous expansion of the database using locally generated data and integration with other national health and food systems will further strengthen the representation of the national sources and public health value.

Food composition databases (FCDs) are valuable resources that provide information about the nutritional content of foods. Internationally, it is unclear which nutritional contents and FCDs are included in highly cited papers, which generally play a role in the assessment and analysis of food consumption. Therefore, national FCDs are essential for public health nutrition, which aims to promote and maintain nutrition-related health in populations through the concerted actions of society and informed choices of citizens. The gaps and needs for FCDs are related to rapidly changing food markets and new nutritional and health interests. This study highlights the important steps required to create a national Saudi Food Composition Database, with focus on food identification and matching. A new analytical tool was developed to match similar food items, enhancing the accuracy of food identification. Additionally, scoring system was created to assess data quality and assist in selecting the best-matched foods with the highest confidence level. Food were classified into high, good, medium, and low confidence based on the type of data obtained. In conclusion, our finding demonstrates that developing a creative and innovative analytical food matching tool with structured scoring systems is very helpful to enhancing the reliability and usability for managing national food composition database. These methods are recommended for future national food composition database to strengthen research and drive innovation and technological advancement and initiatives in food data management.