2010 Australia Health Survey Analytical Program

This is a summary report for use as part of AUSNUT 2011-13 Explanatory Notes. For the full report see Strengthening our evidence base - Food analytical program for the development of a nutrient database for estimating food consumption and nutrient intakes, July 2012

Background

The food supply in Australia is constantly changing, and nutrient data for some foods can become outdated due to changes in product formulation, production practices or advances in analytical methods. While the consumption amounts of staple foods, such as bread and milk, may not change dramatically, a slight change to the nutrient profile may have a substantial effect on nutrient intakes across a population. Similarly, there are many new foods that have increased in popularity over recent years for which Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has no or limited analytical data.

In mid-2010 FSANZ undertook an analytical program to update and expand our analytical data holdings for use in generating nutrient profiles for foods likely to be consumed during the 2011-13 Australian Health Survey (AHS). Foods were selected for analysis based on whether:

• they were commonly consumed
• they were likely to contribute significantly to population nutrient intakes
• the data held by FSANZ were out-dated, limited or non-existent.

The range of nutrients analysed differed for each food depending on what data was available, the quality of the data, whether the nutrient was likely to be present in the food and the impact the consumption of the food may have on population intake of that nutrient.

Sampling

FSANZ selected 29 foods for analysis. Between 5 and 25 purchases of each food were made to provide the final sample weight required for analysis. Sampling was carried out over a six month period in 2010 by the analytical laboratory and Australian State and Territory government food agencies. All food purchases were made within capital city metropolitan areas at a retail outlet representing the buying habits of the majority of the community, unless otherwise specified. If more than one sample of the same brand was purchased, different batch codes were selected.

Table 1 Foods selected for analysis

Preparation and analysis

The samples were delivered by hand or sent by courier to the National Measurement Institute (NMI). The NMI photographed the samples, and provided FSANZ with copies for approval prior to analysis.

The NMI prepared samples according to the sample preparation procedures provided by FSANZ. Each sample was weighed, homogenised and either analysed individually or combined to form one composite sample, depending on the nutrient to be analysed.

The NMI conducted the analyses at their Melbourne laboratories using methods of analysis that have been accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities.

Results

FSANZ validated the NMI results using information from analytical results previously obtained by FSANZ, food labels (ingredient lists and nutrition information panels) where available and international food composition databases.

The majority of results were consistent with previous findings. While some results for specific nutrients were higher or lower than expected, the majority were within an expected range, with only a few samples having to be reanalysed to confirm results.

Where individual samples were analysed for some nutrients, variation between individual samples was considerable. For example, Vitamin C ranged from 13-35 mg/100 g in apple juice, calcium from 570-860 mg/100 g in mozzarella cheese and beta-carotene from 170-510 μ¼g/100 g in broccolini. Other considerable variations included the total fat content in drained canned red salmon ranging from 3.3-6.4 g/100 g and from 0.7-3.7 g/100 g in soy based yoghurt.

The most notable unexpected results were in relation to fatty acids in mushrooms, seaweed and spelt flour. Low levels of long chain omega 3 fatty acids were found in raw, fresh mushrooms and spelt which was unexpected as these fatty acids are not typically found in plant foods other than some algae. All results were reviewed and the presence of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5w3) in spelt was verified using mass spectrometry.

In goat cheese, calcium values ranged from 57-770 mg/100 g. The wide range is due to the different styles of goat cheese analysed (i.e. soft and creamy compared to hard cheese).

For the complete set of results generated from this program refer to:

• File

  Appendix 2 - AHS analytical program - data table (59kb Excel)

Updates to the food and measures databases

After comparing analysed nutrient values from the 2010 program with existing values, FSANZ updated a number of records to better reflect current product composition.

The analytical data generated for this program were used to replace the existing data for each of these foods. Where previous data did not exist, new records were created.

FSANZ also used measures information collected from this program, such as the specific gravity of liquids, to update the FSANZ measures database.

Conclusions

The results of the analytical program have given FSANZ an improved level of confidence about the composition of commonly consumed foods which contribute significantly to dietary nutrient intakes, and foods which are new to the Australian market. The results will also feed into future releases of the FSANZ reference database NUTTAB.