Global Data Challenge Aims to Revolutionize Food and Nutrition Information

The American Heart Association has launched its second annual Periodic Table of Food Initiative data visualization challenge, themed "Future Food + Nutrition Facts," with submissions open until January 30, 2026. This global competition invites interdisciplinary teams to reimagine how nutritional information is presented using molecular data from one of the world's most advanced open-access food composition databases. The initiative comes as consumers increasingly seek clear, trustworthy guidance about their food choices and their health impacts.

The challenge aims to translate complex biomolecular and environmental information into actionable insights for diverse audiences including consumers, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers. According to Selena Ahmed, Ph.D., global director of The Periodic Table of Food Initiative, "This is a translational competition meant to rethink what we know about food, how we share that data in compelling ways and how it informs action." The competition encourages collaboration between scientists, designers, farmers, nutritionists, and other food system stakeholders.

The PTFI is building a comprehensive database containing molecular profiles of thousands of foods worldwide, including full ingredient and nutritional details along with information about how and where specific food products were grown. This data reveals the biomolecular complexity of food beyond traditional calorie and macronutrient measurements, highlighting connections between food, health, biodiversity, and sustainability. Participants will access comprehensive profiles and data from The PTFI's scientific database available at https://foodperiodictable.org.

John de la Parra, Ph.D., director of Food Initiatives at The Rockefeller Foundation, which provides financial support for the challenge, emphasized the significance of this effort: "For the first time in history, we are able to detect the full richness and complexity of all the chemistry contained in the world's food biodiversity. But how do we communicate that? How do we make it mean something, have impact and ultimately improve human and planetary health? That is what this challenge seeks to address."

Competitors will create visualizations that move beyond traditional nutrition facts, showing how food information can better reflect nutritional quality, molecular diversity, sustainability impact, or cultural relevance. The competition features two tracks: a general design category and a specialized research category for scientists submitting technical summaries. With $40,000 in cash prizes, including $20,000 for the top entry, winning visualizations will be showcased at an upcoming PTFI Science Symposium in 2026 and across digital platforms. Top entries will be evaluated on creativity, scientific accuracy, accessibility, and real-world relevance.

The PTFI is an initiative of RF Catalytic Capital Inc. managed by the American Heart Association and the Alliance of Biodiversity and the Center for Tropical Agriculture, with additional research resources available through https://www.alliancebioversityciat.org. This data challenge represents a significant step toward transforming how society understands and interacts with food information, potentially influencing everything from individual dietary choices to global food policies and sustainability practices.