Meat and meat products consumption in Italy: contribution to trace elements, heme iron and selected B vitamins supply.

This study was undertaken to estimate the contribution of meat and meat products consumption to the daily intakes of trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Se), heme iron, and selected B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin) in Italy. Meat and meat products were selected on the basis of their consumption frequency reported by the most recent nationwide dietary individual survey carried out in Italy (INN-CA study). The daily intakes of total iron and heme iron were 1.65 and 1.13 mg/person/day. Zinc intake was 3.65 mg/person/day. Beef made the main contribution to iron, heme iron, and zinc daily intakes. Copper daily intake was 107.3 microg/person/day, with meat products provided the highest contribution (40 microg/person/day). Daily intake of selenium (7.14 microg/person/day) was provided mainly by poultry consumption. Thiamine intake was 228 microg/person/day, and meat products were the main source (110 microg/person/day). Riboflavin intake was 136 microg/person/day, with both beef and meat products as the main contributors (40 microg/person/day). Niacin intake was 7.53 mg/person/day, and poultry was the main source (2.28 mg/person/day). Meat and meat products were a valuable source of micronutrients, supplying 47, 48, and 24% of zinc, niacin, and thiamin daily requirements, respectively, and over 10% of iron, copper, selenium, and riboflavin daily average requirement values of the italian RDAs calculated for the population involved in the survey (INN-CA study).