Early childhood is a critical life stage in which optimum nutrient intakes are essential for healthy growth and development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of fortified food (FF) consumption on the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake and on compliance with dietary recommendations for macronutrient intake in 500 Irish pre-school children aged 1–4 years. Analysis was based on the National Pre-School Nutrition Survey, which was carried out between 2010 and 2011, to establish a database of habitual food and drink consumption. A 4-day weighed food record was used to collect food intake data. Analysis of dietary intake data was carried out using WISP^© (Tinuviel Software, Anglesey, UK) which encompasses McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods^{( 1 )}, Sixth and Fifth editions (including supplemental volumes) and the Irish Food Composition Database⁽ Reference Black, Ireland and Møller ^{2 )}. On the basis of median daily energy intake from FFs, children were divided into low (267 kJ/d), medium (611 kJ/d) or high (1181 kJ/d) consumers of FFs, (stratified by age). Under-reporters were identified by an energy intake/basal metabolic rate⁽ Reference Schofield ^{3 )} ratio less than a defined cut-off point⁽ Reference Torun, Davies and Livingstone ^{4 )} and were excluded from the analysis. Adequacy of micronutrient intake across thirds of FF consumption was evaluated against estimated average requirements (EAR)^{( 5 ,} 6 ⁾. In addition, compliance with European Food Safety Authority and UK Department of Health dietary recommendations for macronutrients^{( 5 ,} 7 ^, 8 ⁾ was examined across thirds of FF consumption.

TE=Total Energy.

The findings of our study suggest that higher consumption of FFs was significantly associated with a lower level of inadequacy for vitamin D and iron. These findings also show that higher consumption of FFs was significantly associated with greater compliance with dietary recommendations for total fat, saturated fat and carbohydrate.