Maybe this has not a so tight connection to the specific question, but however see also this amazing web page http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_volume_cooking.htm <http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_volume_cooking.htm> There we, Europeans, newcomers to these problems, learn that we do not have to wonder if a cup is an expresso coffee cup or a tea cup, since a cup is a 236.588 cubic centimeter volume. Besides that, when I buy my favourite flour for home bread preparation and transfer it from its paper pack to a jar, in the beginning it seems I will need 2 jars; then shaking and bumping a bit the jar, one is enough. If not for very practical, applied, but pretty rough purposes, why not to go directly to weight ? Filippo D'Antuono Professore ordinario, Colture alimentari, qualità e produzione Full professor, Food crops production and quality Dipartimento di scienze e tecnologie agroalimentari Campus Unversitario di Scienza degli alimenti Department of Agri-food science and technology Food Science University Campus Università di Bologna / University of Bologna Piazza Goidanich 60 47521 Cesena Italia e-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Tel +39 0547 338126 Fax+ +39 0547 382348 ________________________________ Da: Food Composition Discussion Group [[log in to unmask]] per conto di Anders Møller [[log in to unmask]] Inviato: lunedì 11 maggio 2015 20.33 A: [log in to unmask] Oggetto: Re: Best Practices for Calculating Density Conversion Factors Yes, David! That is what I missed – the particles size is an important measure to consider – and report. Thanks, Anders From: Food Composition Discussion Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Haytowitz, David Sent: 11 May 2015 19:47 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Best Practices for Calculating Density Conversion Factors Hello: The hard part of determining the density of foods is getting an accurate measure of the volume. Foe liquids, it’s fairly straightforward. You take a graduated cylinder and weigh it with and without the liquid and you can read the volume off the markings. This will also work with dry powders and foods composed of small particles. However, the final measurement of the density will be affected by the degree of compaction. This is why we see recipes in the US call for sifted flour, as we use cups rather than weighing out the flour. However trying to determine the volume of an irregularly shaped piece of food, say a piece of broccoli or a loaf of bread, is much harder. Archimede’s principle figures out volume by displacement, but you can’t use water if the material you’re measuring will absorb the water, so you have to use a dry substance, such as very small seeds. The baking industry traditionally used canola seeds, but any very small seed will do. You determine the volume of the seeds, then add the food you’re measuring being sure to completely cover it, then measure the volume again. Hope this is helpful. David B. Haytowitz Nutritionist USDA, Agricultural Research Service Nutrient Data Laboratory Room 207A, Building 005, BARC-West 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 301.504.0714 (voice) 301.504.0632 (fax) [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> From: Food Composition Discussion Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charrondiere, Ruth (ESN) Sent: Monday, May 11, 2015 10:43 AM To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Best Practices for Calculating Density Conversion Factors Dear Jessica, you take a laboratory scale, put an empty glass or other container on it, weigh it. Then fill it up with water coming from the fridge. weigh it. Record the difference in weight which is your volume. Then weigh all foods in this container and divide it by the volume. Describe the food well, e.g. fish powder, loose; raw eggplant without skin in 1 cm cubes. Record your location (altitude). I would be happy to include your data in our next version of the FAO/INFOODS density database Best wishes Ruth P.S. Anyone else willing to contribute data are most welcome ________________________________ From: Food Composition Discussion Group [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Raneri, Jessica (Bioversity) [[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, May 11, 2015 2:12 PM To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Best Practices for Calculating Density Conversion Factors Dear Infoods Members, We’re currently attempting to identify the density conversion factors of some unique foods in Vietnam in order to analyse 24hr recall data. Is anyone aware of guidelines or best-practices manual on how to calculate these densities? We would like to eventually make the data publically available. Many thanks in advance. Jessica Raneri, MSc Nutritionist, Research Support Officer Nutrition and Marketing Diversity Programme, Bioversity International<http://www.bioversityinternational.org/> Via dei Tre Denari, 472/a 00057 Maccarese (Fiumicino) Rome, Italy P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the InFoods-Food-Comp-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=InFoods-Food-Comp-L&A=1 ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the InFoods-Food-Comp-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=InFoods-Food-Comp-L&A=1 ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the InFoods-Food-Comp-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=InFoods-Food-Comp-L&A=1 ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the InFoods-Food-Comp-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=InFoods-Food-Comp-L&A=1 ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the InFoods-Food-Comp-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=InFoods-Food-Comp-L&A=1