The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)

Unlocking Food Composition Data for Human and Planetary Health

Food is at the center of society’s most pressing challenges and opportunities.

Diet-related diseases account for 1 in 5 deaths around the world and dominant farming practices compromise the health of our planet. We need to transform food systems through data-driven solutions for healthier people and a healthier planet.

Mission & Vision: The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) is building a global ecosystem and providing tools, data, and training to catalog the biomolecular composition of the world’s food supply. We seek to enable data-driven solutions to improve human and planetary health through the following offerings:

    1. Tools
      We are developing standardized advanced analytical approaches and centralized data processing tools to catalog the biomolecular composition of the world’s food supply.
    2. Data
      We are enabling a global ecosystem to provide standardized, comprehensive, and robust data on food biomolecular composition through an open-access data platform for a wide variety of data users.
    3. Training
      We are developing accessible state-of-the-art educational offerings in food, agriculture, nutrition, and health (FANH) to strengthen the capacity of scientists, practitioners, educators, and policymakers to apply food composition data for a good food future.

The map of food: why we need a world atlas of what we eat

Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association, Published on the World Economic Forum website

News & Events
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“A database that captures and quantifies the molecular content of food will revolutionize the agriculture, food and health sectors. Once in place, this publicly accessible database will be the greatest single knowledge asset in the history of food.”
Bruce German, Professor and Chemist, University of California Davis
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Approach

The PTFI is a collaborative effort that will enable conditions for rapid acceleration in research and innovation.

Impact

The PTFI will help address global challenges in public health, regenerative agriculture, nutrition, environment and more.

Our Team

Our team members provide support to collaboratively design and implement the PTFI.