How could the BSE crisis affect nutrient intake? Comparison of beef and non-beef eating meat eaters from the UK Women's Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES

To compare nutrient and food intakes in a group of meat eating women who ate beef with those who did not eat beef.

DESIGN

Analysis of preliminary data from the UK Women's Cohort Study, a national study of women aged 35-69 y.

SUBJECTS

Three thousand and eighty-six beef meat eaters from the cohort were compared with 593 non-beef meat eaters.

RESULTS

The non-beef eaters had lower energy, protein, zinc, fat, percentage of energy from fat and body mass index and higher fibre and vitamin C intakes than the beef eaters. There was no difference between the groups in consumption of carbohydrate, sugar or iron.

CONCLUSION

There were differences in nutrient intake between the groups, which if reflected long term in the general population have implications for health and food policy following media revelations.