Composition of ready cooked foods sampled in southern Thailand.

This study investigated the nutrient composition of ready cooked foods commonly consumed in southern Thailand. Four samples of fourteen types; eight curry dishes, one sweet and sour curry, a soup dish, one stir-fried curry, one stir-fried dish and two single plate dishes were each purchased from 4 different shops around Hat Yai district. The edible part was blended and analysed for its nutrients content per 100 g edible portion. Cassia curry, Thai noodle salad, Ark shell curry and Fermented fish gut dish were a good source of vitamin B1 (145 microg), vitamin C (2.20 mg), calcium (0.23 g) and iron (6.07 mg), respectively. Moisture, ash, fat, protein and carbohydrate were high in Mungbean noodle soup (92.6 g), Fermented fish gut dish (4.1 g), Cassia curry (9.9 g), Stingray stir-fried curry (16.7 g) and Thai noodle salad (24.2 g). Results also showed that the main ingredients and cooking process determined the nutritional values of the foods. A new set of 4 samples of Round noodle in southern curry was purchased, each separated into its edible components and nutrient values estimated using the Thai single ingredient databases. Their nutrient content was also calculated using the data of similar food obtained from this study. Considerable differences amongst the values from the 2 sets of calculation were observed. Problems inherent in using the single ingredient databases were highlighted. This work demonstrates a need to create a food composition database of whole cooked meals ready for serving that reflects real life consumption.