FoodEx2 Reference

FoodEx2 is the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) standardized food classification and description system, providing a comprehensive catalog of 31,601 terms for European food products.

Overview

FoodEx2 was developed by EFSA to create a single, harmonized food classification system for data exchange across EU member states in food safety, nutrition, and exposure assessment domains.

Key Statistics:

Total Terms: 31,601
Hierarchical Levels: Up to 7 levels deep
Facet Categories: 30+ facets for detailed description
Coverage: Complete European food catalog
Languages: English (primary) with translations available

Purpose and Use Cases

Primary Applications

Food Safety Reporting
- Harmonized data exchange across EU member states
- Incident reporting and risk assessment
- Contaminant occurrence data
Nutritional Databases
- Food consumption surveys
- Dietary exposure assessments
- Nutritional composition databases
Food Surveillance
- Monitoring programs
- Food composition analysis
- Quality control systems
Research and Analysis
- Comparative studies across countries
- Dietary pattern analysis
- Food safety risk assessments

Structure

Hierarchical Organization

FoodEx2 uses a multi-level hierarchical structure with alphanumeric codes:

Level 1: A - Grains and grain-based products
├── Level 2: A01 - Grains
│   ├── Level 3: A0101 - Wheat
│   │   ├── Level 4: A010101 - Common wheat
│   │   ├── Level 4: A010102 - Durum wheat
│   │   └── Level 4: A010103 - Spelt
│   ├── Level 3: A0102 - Rice
│   └── Level 3: A0103 - Barley
└── Level 2: A02 - Grain-based products
    ├── Level 3: A0201 - Bread and rolls
    └── Level 3: A0202 - Breakfast cereals

Code Format

Master Hierarchy Code: Unique identifier (e.g., A0101)
Report Hierarchy Code: Aggregated categories for reporting
Term Name: Human-readable description
Scientific Name: Taxonomic name where applicable
Status: Active, deprecated, or obsolete

Dual Hierarchy System

Master Hierarchy

Complete, detailed food catalog
Maximum granularity
Used for precise data collection
Up to 7 hierarchical levels

Report Hierarchy

Aggregated categories
Simplified structure
Used for reporting and analysis
Fewer hierarchical levels

Main Food Categories (Level 1)

Code	Category	Description	Example Terms
A	Grains and grain-based products	Cereals, bread, pasta, baked goods	Wheat, rice, bread, pasta
B	Vegetables and vegetable products	Fresh and processed vegetables	Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles
C	Starchy roots and tubers	Potatoes, cassava, yams	Potatoes, sweet potatoes
D	Legumes, nuts, oilseeds	Beans, nuts, seeds	Soybeans, peanuts, almonds
E	Fruits and fruit products	Fresh and processed fruits	Apples, oranges, jams
F	Meat and meat products	All animal meat	Beef, pork, poultry, game
G	Fish and seafood	Aquatic animals	Fish, crustaceans, mollusks
H	Milk and dairy products	Dairy and derivatives	Milk, cheese, yogurt
I	Eggs and egg products	Chicken and other bird eggs	Whole eggs, egg whites
J	Sugar and confectionery	Sweeteners and sweets	Sugar, honey, chocolate, candy
K	Animal and vegetable fats	Oils and fats	Olive oil, butter, margarine
L	Fruit and vegetable juices	Beverages from fruits/vegetables	Orange juice, tomato juice
M	Non-alcoholic beverages	Water, soft drinks, coffee, tea	Coffee, tea, soft drinks
N	Alcoholic beverages	Wine, beer, spirits	Wine, beer, whiskey
O	Herbs, spices, seasonings	Flavoring ingredients	Salt, pepper, basil, oregano
P	Food for infants and small children	Baby food and formula	Infant formula, baby food
Q	Products for special nutritional use	Dietary and medical foods	Gluten-free, diabetic foods
R	Composite dishes	Multi-ingredient prepared foods	Pizza, lasagna, casseroles

Faceted Classification

FoodEx2 uses facets to add additional descriptive dimensions beyond the base hierarchy. Facets allow precise characterization of food items.

Farming/Growing Method:

Organic production
Conventional farming
Greenhouse cultivation
Wild/uncultivated
Hydroponic

Animal Husbandry:

Free-range
Cage-free
Grass-fed
Grain-fed
Intensive farming

Extent of Processing:

Raw/unprocessed
Minimally processed
Processed
Ultra-processed

Specific Processes:

Pasteurized
Sterilized
Homogenized
Fermented
Dried/dehydrated
Frozen
Canned
Smoked
Salted
Pickled

Heat Treatment:

Raw
Blanched
Boiled
Fried
Baked
Grilled
Roasted
Steamed

Container Type:

Bottle
Can
Carton
Jar
Pouch
Bulk

Packaging Material:

Glass
Plastic
Metal
Paper/cardboard

Packaging Medium:

Air
Vacuum
Modified atmosphere
Liquid (oil, brine)

Plant Parts:

Leaves
Roots
Stems
Flowers
Seeds
Fruits

Animal Parts:

Muscle tissue
Organs
Skin
Bones
Fat

Solid
Liquid
Semi-solid
Powder
Granules
Frozen
Fresh
Dried

Premium/high quality
Standard quality
Economy/budget
Organic certified
Protected designation of origin
Protected geographical indication

A complete FoodEx2 description combining hierarchy and facets:

Base Term: A010101 (Common wheat)
+ Facets:
  - Production: Organic farming
  - Processing: Whole grain
  - Physical state: Kernels
  - Geographical: Italy
  - Quality: Protected designation of origin

Result: Organic whole grain common wheat kernels from Italy (PDO)

Code Structure and Examples

Hierarchical Codes

Pattern: [Letter][Numbers]

Examples:

A - All grains and grain-based products
A01 - Grains (within category A)
A0101 - Wheat (within grains)
A010101 - Common wheat (specific wheat type)

Sample Terms by Category

Grains (A)

A0101    Wheat
A010101  Common wheat
A010102  Durum wheat
A010103  Spelt
A0102    Rice
A010201  Rice, white
A010202  Rice, brown
A010203  Rice, wild

Vegetables (B)

B0101    Brassica vegetables
B010101  Cabbage
B010102  Broccoli
B010103  Cauliflower
B0102    Leafy vegetables
B010201  Lettuce
B010202  Spinach

Fruits (E)

E0101    Pome fruits
E010101  Apple
E010102  Pear
E0102    Stone fruits
E010201  Peach
E010202  Plum
E010203  Cherry

Meat (F)

F0101    Cattle meat
F010101  Beef
F010102  Veal
F0102    Swine meat
F010201  Pork
F0103    Poultry
F010301  Chicken meat
F010302  Turkey meat

Dairy (H)

H0101    Milk
H010101  Cow milk
H010102  Goat milk
H010103  Sheep milk
H0102    Fermented milk
H010201  Yogurt
H010202  Kefir
H0103    Cheese
H010301  Fresh cheese
H010302  Hard cheese
H010303  Blue cheese

Integration with LCA Glossary

Mapping to Other Sources

FoodEx2 terms are semantically mapped to other glossary sources:

Hestia Mapping:

FoodEx2: A010101 (Common wheat)
  ↓ mapped to
Hestia: term/crop-wheat
  ↓ provides
Environmental impact data

Ecoinvent Mapping:

FoodEx2: F010101 (Beef)
  ↓ mapped to
Ecoinvent: market for cattle for slaughtering, live weight
  ↓ provides
LCA process data

AGROvoc Mapping:

FoodEx2: E010101 (Apple)
  ↓ mapped to
AGROvoc: c_8268 (Malus domestica)
  ↓ provides
Taxonomic and agricultural context

Using FoodEx2 in Environmental Assessment

Identify Food Product - Find correct FoodEx2 term
Add Facets - Describe production method, processing
Map to LCA Data - Link to Hestia or Ecoinvent
Calculate Impact - Use mapped LCA processes
Report Results - Standardized terminology for reporting

Query Examples

SQL Queries

-- Find all wheat varieties
SELECT id, name, category
FROM terms
WHERE source = 'foodex2'
  AND id LIKE 'A0101%'
ORDER BY id;

-- Find organic production facets
SELECT id, name, description
FROM terms
WHERE source = 'foodex2'
  AND category LIKE '%production%'
  AND name LIKE '%organic%';

-- Get complete dairy category
SELECT id, name, category, properties
FROM terms
WHERE source = 'foodex2'
  AND id LIKE 'H%'
ORDER BY id;

JavaScript/TypeScript

import { Glossary, Term } from './glossary.types'

// Load glossary
const glossary: Glossary = await fetch('/glossary.json')
  .then(r => r.json())

// Filter FoodEx2 terms
const foodex2Terms = glossary.terms.filter(t =>
  t.source === 'foodex2'
)

// Find wheat terms
const wheatTerms = foodex2Terms.filter(t =>
  t.id.startsWith('A0101') ||
  t.name.toLowerCase().includes('wheat')
)

// Group by main category
const byCategory = foodex2Terms.reduce((acc, term) => {
  const category = term.id.charAt(0) // First letter
  if (!acc[category]) acc[category] = []
  acc[category].push(term)
  return acc
}, {} as Record<string, Term[]>)

console.log(`Found ${wheatTerms.length} wheat terms`)
console.log(`Categories: ${Object.keys(byCategory).join(', ')}`)

Python

import json
from collections import defaultdict

# Load glossary
with open('glossary.json') as f:
    glossary = json.load(f)

# Filter FoodEx2 terms
foodex2_terms = [
    t for t in glossary['terms']
    if t['source'] == 'foodex2'
]

# Hierarchical analysis
hierarchy_levels = defaultdict(list)
for term in foodex2_terms:
    level = len(term['id']) - 1  # Code length indicates level
    hierarchy_levels[level].append(term)

# Print statistics
for level, terms in sorted(hierarchy_levels.items()):
    print(f"Level {level}: {len(terms)} terms")

# Find composite dishes (category R)
composite = [t for t in foodex2_terms if t['id'].startswith('R')]
print(f"\nComposite dishes: {len(composite)} terms")

Best Practices

Selecting the Right Term

Start Broad - Begin with main category (Level 1)
Navigate Hierarchy - Drill down to appropriate specificity
Add Facets - Include processing, production method
Verify Scope - Check term definition matches your product
Document Choice - Record rationale for term selection

Common Pitfalls

❌ Too Generic

Bad:  A (Grains and grain-based products)
Good: A010101 (Common wheat)

❌ Missing Facets

Bad:  F010101 (Beef)
Good: F010101 (Beef) + Organic + Grass-fed

❌ Wrong Level

Bad:  Using Level 2 when Level 4 exists
Good: Use most specific applicable level

Data Quality

Completeness:

Always use most specific term available
Include all applicable facets
Document assumptions

Consistency:

Use same term for same product across datasets
Apply facets systematically
Follow EFSA guidance documents

Traceability:

Record FoodEx2 version used
Document mapping decisions
Link to source data

Version and Updates

Current Version in Glossary: FoodEx2 Revision 2 Last EFSA Update: Check EFSA website for latest Update Frequency: Irregular, typically every 2-3 years

Version Compatibility

Terms can be deprecated in new versions
Use version-specific code when possible
Map deprecated terms to current equivalents
Check EFSA changelog for updates

Resources

Official EFSA Resources

FoodEx2 Browser: EFSA FoodEx2 Online Tool
User Manual: EFSA FoodEx2 guidance documents
Code Lists: Downloadable Excel files with complete hierarchy
Facet Catalog: Complete list of all facets

ESFC Glossary Resources

Search Interface: Browse 31,601 FoodEx2 terms
SQL Database: Query hierarchies and facets
API Access: Programmatic term lookup
Mappings: Links to Hestia, Ecoinvent, AGROvoc

Data Sources - Overview of all 10 sources
Hestia Reference - Map FoodEx2 to LCA data
Semantic Mapping - Cross-source matching
Data Formats - Export and integration

License and Attribution

FoodEx2 is developed and maintained by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

License: Public domain / Open data Attribution: "FoodEx2 classification system by EFSA" Usage: Free for commercial and research use Citation: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

When publishing research using FoodEx2:

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). (Year). The food classification
and description system FoodEx 2 (revision 2). EFSA supporting publication
YYYY:EN-NNNN. Available online: www.efsa.europa.eu/publications

Overview​

Purpose and Use Cases​

Primary Applications​

Structure​

Hierarchical Organization​

Code Format​

Dual Hierarchy System​

Main Food Categories (Level 1)​

Faceted Classification​

Key Facet Categories​

1. Production Method Facets​

2. Processing Facets​

3. Packaging Facets​

4. Part of Product Facets​

5. Physical State Facets​

6. Quality Facets​

Facet Usage Example​

Code Structure and Examples​

Hierarchical Codes​

Sample Terms by Category​

Grains (A)​

Vegetables (B)​

Fruits (E)​

Meat (F)​

Dairy (H)​

Integration with LCA Glossary​

Mapping to Other Sources​

Using FoodEx2 in Environmental Assessment​

Query Examples​

SQL Queries​

JavaScript/TypeScript​

Python​

Best Practices​

Selecting the Right Term​

Common Pitfalls​

Data Quality​

Version and Updates​

Version Compatibility​

Resources​

Official EFSA Resources​

ESFC Glossary Resources​

Related Documentation​

License and Attribution​