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Contribution of growing-up milks to the diets of Irish children aged 12–36 months

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2013

J. Walton
Affiliation:
School of Food & Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Republic of Ireland
A. Flynn
Affiliation:
School of Food & Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Republic of Ireland
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Abstract

Type
Abstract
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013

Over the last decade, growing-up milks have become available commercially in Ireland for children aged 12–36 months to complement a balanced diet and to help reduce the risk of nutrient inadequacies. The aim of this paper is estimate the intake and contribution to the energy and nutrient intakes of growing-up milks in Irish children aged 12–36 months. Analyses were based on data from the National Pre-School Nutrition Survey (2010–2011), a nationally representative survey of food consumption in 1–4 year old Irish children (www.iuna.net). A 4-day weighed food diary was used to collect food intake data and nutrient intakes were estimated 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, Møller, Roe, Walton and Flynn 2 ). Growing-up milks were consumed by 20% of children aged 12–36 months (12–24m: 25%; 24–36 m: 14%) with an average daily intakes among consumers of 360 ml for 12–24 month olds and 298 ml for 24–36 month olds. The table below presents the contribution of growing-up milks to mean daily energy and nutrient intakes in consumers only (n=49).

Relative to energy, growing-up milks contributed a greater proportion of the mean daily intakes of dietary fibre, calcium, iron, zinc, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin D, a lower proportion of protein, saturated fat, sodium, niacin and vitamin B6, and similar proportions of carbohydrate, fat, thiamin, folate and vitamin B12. Growing-up milks make an important contribution to overall dietary balance and serve as a rich source of critical nutrients such as iron and vitamin D for which there is a risk of inadequacy in this age group.

The project was funded by the Irish Government under the Food for Health Research Initiative 2007–2012 and Danone Baby Nutrition.

References

1. Food Standards Agency (2002) McCance & Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Fifth & Sixth Editions including supplemental volumes. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.Google Scholar
2. Black, LJ, Ireland, J, Møller, A, Roe, M, Walton, J, Flynn, A, et al. (2011) Development of an on-line Irish food composition database for nutrients. J Food Compos Anal 24(7), 10171023.CrossRefGoogle Scholar