The effect of consuming voluntarily fortified food and beverages on usual nutrient intakes in the Canadian population.

Valerie Tarasuk,Didier Brassard

doi:10.29219/fnr.v65.5256

Abstract

BackgroundIn Canada, regulatory changes have expanded marketing opportunities for voluntarily fortified products (VFPs), with micronutrient additions permitted at levels well in excess of human requirements.ObjectiveTo examine how the consumption of VFPs relates to usual nutrient intakes in the Canadian population.DesignThe 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey comprises single 24-h dietary intake recalls on a population-representative sample of 20,487 individuals aged 1 year and older, with second recalls on a subset of 7,608. The intake data included 15 food codes denoting VFP (e.g. energy drinks, fortified beverages, cereals, and bars). We assessed VFP consumption and estimated usual intake distributions for riboflavin, niacin, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and C for VFP consumers and non-consumers 14–50 years old (n = 8,442) using the National Cancer Institute method. We applied the ‘shrink and add’ method to estimate usual intakes among supplement users and assessed apparent benefits and risks by comparing usual intake distributions to EARs and ULs.ResultsOnly 2.4% of the population reported any consumption of VFP on the first 24-h recall. VFP consumers were overrepresented in the upper quartile of population intake distributions for niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and zinc. The median usual intakes of VFP consumers were 24–111% higher than the median usual intakes of non-consumers, and VFP consumers had significantly lower prevalence of inadequacy for riboflavin and vitamins A, B6, B12, and C. Irrespective of VFP consumption, usual intake distributions reached the ULs for vitamin A and zinc with the addition of supplement intakes.DiscussionGiven the limited differentiation of VFP in this survey, we have likely underestimated nutrient exposure levels.ConclusionsVFP consumption was associated with elevated usual nutrient intakes, but we found limited evidence that it protected consumers from nutrient inadequacies or propelled intakes above tolerable upper levels.

Highlights

In Canada, regulatory changes have expanded marketing opportunities for voluntarily fortified products (VFPs), with micronutrient additions permitted at levels well in excess of human requirements
On a single 24-h recall, 2.4% of the population reported some consumption of VFP, with the prevalence ranging from 0.3% among females 71 years and older to 8.5% among males 19–30 years old (Fig. 1)
In the context of expanding voluntary fortification in Canada, our results suggest that VFPs contribute substantially to consumers’ micronutrient intakes, disproportionately positioning them in the upper quartile of population intakes for five of the seven micronutrients examined and resulting in markedly elevated distributions of usual nutrient intake for consumers compared to the non-consumer population

Summary

Introduction

In Canada, regulatory changes have expanded marketing opportunities for voluntarily fortified products (VFPs), with micronutrient additions permitted at levels well in excess of human requirements. We assessed VFP consumption and estimated usual intake distributions for riboflavin, niacin, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and C for VFP consumers and non-consumers 14–50 years old (n = 8,442) using the National Cancer Institute method. We applied the ‘shrink and add’ method to estimate usual intakes among supplement users and assessed apparent benefits and risks by comparing usual intake distributions to EARs and ULs. Results: Only 2.4% of the population reported any consumption of VFP on the first 24-h recall. VFP consumers were overrepresented in the upper quartile of population intake distributions for niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and zinc. Irrespective of VFP consumption, usual intake distributions reached the ULs for vitamin A and zinc with the addition of supplement intakes. Conclusions: VFP consumption was associated with elevated usual nutrient intakes, but we found limited evidence that it protected consumers from nutrient inadequacies or propelled intakes above tolerable upper levels

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