Results of the BfR MEAL Study: Highest levels of retinol found in animal livers and of β-carotene in yellow-orange and green leafy vegetables

Sophia Schendel; Tanja Berg; Maria Scherfling; Carina Drößer; Sebastian Ptok; Anke Weißenborn; Oliver Lindtner; Irmela Sarvan

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100458

Results of the BfR MEAL Study: Highest levels of retinol found in animal livers and of β-carotene in yellow-orange and green leafy vegetables

Food Chem X. 2022 Sep 26:16:100458. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100458. eCollection 2022 Dec 30.

Authors

Sophia Schendel¹, Tanja Berg¹, Maria Scherfling¹, Carina Drößer¹, Sebastian Ptok¹, Anke Weißenborn¹, Oliver Lindtner¹, Irmela Sarvan¹

Affiliation

¹ German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

This Total Diet Study (TDS) provides representative data on substance levels in foods, prepared as typically consumed by the population in Germany for future dietary exposure assessment. Vitamin A is essential and must be obtained from the diet, either as preformed vitamin A or as provitamin A carotenoids. Levels of retinol and β-carotene were analysed in 333 and 271 foods, respectively. Highest mean retinol levels were found in cod liver (25,000 µg∙100 g^-1), followed by other animal livers, liver-based products, butter, eel and fortified margarine. In contrast, highest mean β-carotene levels were found in carrots (4,650 µg∙100 g^-1), followed by other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables and fortified fruit nectars. Sampling by production type and seasonality revealed differences in retinol and β-carotene levels in individual foods. This TDS expands the existing data for β-carotene and vitamin A extensively by providing representative data on most consumed foods.

Keywords: (preformed) vitamin A; BLE, Federal Office for Agriculture and Food; BLS, Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (German Nutrient Database); BMEL, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture; BVL, Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety); BfR MEAL Study; BfR, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment); FLD, Florescence detection; HPLC, High-performance liquid chromatography; LOD, Limit of Quantification; LOQ, Limit of Detection; MEAL, Meals for Exposure Assessment and Analyses of Foods; MS, Mass spectrometry; NP, Normal-phase; NVS, Nationale Verzehrsstudie (German National Nutrition Survey); Organic and conventional types of production; RP, Reversed-phase; Retinol; Retinol (PubChem CID445354); SD, Standard deviation; Seasonality; TDS, Total diet study; Total diet study; UB, Upper bound; Unprepared and prepared foods; VELS, Verzehrsstudie zur Ermittlung der Lebensmittelaufnahme von Säuglingen und Kleinkindern (Consumption survey of food intake among infants and young children); g, Gram; mLB, Modified lower bound; n, Number; µ, micro; β-carotene; β-carotene (PubChem CID5280480).