Information Management

Project description

ICGV, the Innovation Center of Healthy Food in the Netherlands, has asked us to design a database with information about healthy food components. This database has the purpose of providing SMEs with information about:

• which healthy components can be found in which products?
• what are the health claims of these components and what scientific evidence exists to back up these claims?
• what is the effect of industrial processing or catering activities on the amount of a component in a product?

The potential users can have a very diverse background: farmers, processing industry, auctions, nursery homes, health care institues, chefs, consumers, dietary consultants, et cetera. People from most of these groups of users have been interviewed by us.

The result of the project is a prototype that gives an overview of the (future) possibilities of such a database. We have chosen to disclose the database using a web-based portal that is catered to the needs of any specific user. At present, the information in the database is focussed on bell pepper, blue berry and various brassica types and the web interface is focussed on the needs of the processing industry. In the future, we hope to broaden the content of the database and to add additional views on the database.

Technical aspects

The database is created in RDF format, which makes it easy to extend in the future to changing needs. The database is disclosed as a web application; therefore only an internet browser is needed to obtain worldwide access to the information in the database. The web application is created with ASP .NET technology, which called for an innovative link of the java-based Sesame RDF back end to the .NET front end.

Partners

The partners in this project are:

ICGV

As innovation center in the South-East of the Neterhalnds, ICGV has been the starter of this project. ICGV has discussed the need for such a database with the SMEs. With this information, ICGV has asked Wageningen UR and University of Maastricht to create the prototype of the database Healthy Food Components.

Wageningen UR – Information Management
The Information Management group of A&F has been responsible for the requirements analysis, the design of the datamodel, the creation of the database, the design and implementation of the user interface, and the overall project management.

Wageningen UR – Plant Research International
Plant Research International has analysed the scientific literature about products, cultivars, their properties and components.

Wageningen UR – Product Design Quality Management Group
The Product Design & Quality Management group of Wageningen UR has been responsible for adding information about cultivars, components and the effects of post-processing activities.

Universiteit Maastricht – NUTRIM
Nutrim has taken care of information about health claims of components and their scientific background. The robustness of the health claims has been added to the database: is the information possible, probable, or proven.