Cured Red Meat and Cured Poultry Intake for US Individuals 2+ Years from NHANES 2011–2016

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Cured animal protein foods are not often differentiated by animal source in dietary data, e.g., cured poultry is commonly grouped with cured red meat. Using the USDA's Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED), our objective was to disaggregate the ‘cured meat’ FPED variable into cured red meat (CRM) and cured poultry (CP) to describe mean intakes in the U.S. population. Methods Two researchers independently manually disaggregated the ‘cured meat’ FPED variable into CRM or CP based on food code description, ingredients, and What We Eat in America category. We then developed a SAS program to mimic the manual coding. We estimated consumption prevalence and mean intake of CRM and CP using 1-day dietary recalls for individuals aged 2+ years in NHANES 2011–2016 (n = 23,917). Additionally, we assessed differences by age, sex, self-identified Hispanic origin and race, education, and income (Tukey adjusted P < 0.05). Intakes are reported as mean ± standard error. We used weighted SAS survey commands for all analyses. Results Overall, CRM comprised 73% of total cured meat, 32% of total red meat, and CP comprised 12% of total poultry. Forty-three % of respondents reported CRM, 13% reported CP, and prevalence decreased with age for both. Mean intakes were 0.3 ± 0.01 oz.-eq/1000 kcal for CRM and 0.1 ± 0.01 oz.-eq/1000 kcal for CP, with no linear age trends. Females reported 0.1 ± 0.02 oz.-eq/1000 kcal less CRM than males but similar CP. Non-Hispanic Asians and Hispanics reported less CRM than non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Non-Hispanic Asians reported less CP than Hispanics and both reported less than non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Intakes of CP, but not CRM, were 0.04 ± 0.01 oz.-eq/1000 kcal higher for those with more vs less education. Intakes of CRM or CP did not differ for those above vs below the federal poverty line. Mean intakes were 1.0 ± 0.01 oz.-eq/1000 kcal for total red meat (CRM + ‘meat’ FPED variable) and 1.1 ± 0.02 oz.-eq/1000 kcal for total poultry (CP + ‘poultry’ FPED variable). Conclusions Most cured meat consumed in the U.S. is cured red meat. Both cured red meat and cured poultry are episodically consumed. These newly established FPED-aligned variables can be used to assess chronic disease risk of cured animal protein food consumption with greater specificity. Funding Sources Not applicable.