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Dietary fibre (DF) intakes in pre–school children aged 1–4 years in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2012

S. Bannon
Affiliation:
Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) at: School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
J. Walton
Affiliation:
Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) at: School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
B. McNulty
Affiliation:
UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland
A. Nugent
Affiliation:
UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland
M. J. Gibney
Affiliation:
UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland
A. Flynn
Affiliation:
Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) at: School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
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Abstract

Type
Abstract
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2012

Currently, there are limited data available on the dietary habits of pre-school children in Ireland. The National Pre-school Nutrition Survey (NPNS) was therefore carried out to establish a database of habitual food and beverage consumption in a representative sample of pre-school children in the Republic of Ireland. A 4-day weighed food diary was used to collect dietary intake data from 500 pre-school children aged 1–4 years. Analysis of dietary intake data was carried out using WISP©, which is based on McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods 6 th edition ( 1 ) and the Irish food composition database( Reference Black, Ireland and Møller 2 ). DF intake and sources of DF in the diets of pre-school children are reported.

Seventy two percent of pre-school children (68% males, 76% females) met the EFSA DF recommendation( 3 ) for children of this age group. The foods which contributed greatest to DF intakes were fruit, breads, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and vegetables.

The project was funded by the Irish Government under the Food for Health Research Initiative 2007–2012

References

1. Food Standards Agency (2002) McCance & Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Sixth Edition. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.Google Scholar
2. Black, LJ, Ireland, J, Møller, A et al. (2011) J Food Compost Anal 24(7): 10171023.Google Scholar
3. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA) (2010) EFSA J 8(3): 1462 [77 pp.].Google Scholar