Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I find the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA’s)?

This information is supplied by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. It is located in Washington, D. C. The telephone number is (202) 334-2000.  You can view the RDA chart at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Dietary/rda.html

2. Where can I find nutritional information for various foods?

Here are four resources:

• USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference contains 6,000 foods. URL: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp -- Provided by the Nutrient Data Laboratory of the Agricultural Research Service at Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. 
• "Nutritive Value of Foods" 72-page booklet, #G72, $3.75 from the Human Nutrition Information Service
  (301) 734-8491.
• "Agriculture Handbook No. 8" (Available in libraries).
• Bowes and Church’s "Food Values of Portions Commonly Used", 16^th edition, c.1994 Available in bookstores. Contains 8,500 foods, some by brand name.

 3. What are some useful telephone numbers and Internet addresses?

Answer:

• Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-800-535-4555.
• National Agricultural Library: (301) 504-5719.
• Food and Drug Administration, Office of Food Labeling: 1-800-535-4555. (Weekdays 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. EST).
• American Dietetic Association, Consumer Nutrition Hotline: 1-900-225-5267. (Weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST).
• Nutrient Database: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
• Healthy School Meals Resource System: http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov:8001

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