Specialty Oils: Classification and Description by LanguaLTM and FoodEx2

A standardized classification and description system (coding) of food products allows the analysis of data originating from several sources. The data harmonization process about food composition depends on systematic food description that is indispensable for the acquisition, analysis, and sharing data and information. The availability of well-developed data banks can ensure the efficient management of heterogeneous data, useful for scientific studies and strategic decisions. The rise of harmonized composition data for foods plays a key role in understanding the relationship between human health and diet. Systematic classification and description of food products are used to analyze dietary intake. “Specialty oils”, also promoted as “Gourmet” oils, are attracting the attention of consumers for their high amounts of nutritional and nutraceutical components with health-promoting properties. This study aims to codify 50 samples of some vegetable oils, currently sold in physical and online stores in Italy, by applying the two most common classification and description systems: LanguaLTM and FoodEx2.