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Variation in iodine food composition data has a major impact on estimates of iodine intake in young children

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 72, pages 410–419 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives:

The reliability of an estimate of iodine intake is largely dependent on the quality of the food composition data. We aimed to assess the impact of variations in food composition data for iodine and season on the estimates of iodine intake in young children.

Subjects/methods:

Cross-sectional dietary intake study of Irish 2-year-olds participating in the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study (n=468; 30% of the cohort at the 2-year follow-up) were used to assess the impact of variation in iodine food composition data on estimates of iodine intake, dietary adequacy and risk of exceeding the tolerable upper intake level (UL).

Results:

Mean (SD) iodine intakes calculated using UK (147 (71)) and Irish (177 (93)) food composition data were significantly different (P < 0.001) (mean difference (95% confidence interval) = 30 (26–33) µg/day) and largely adequate (7–14% below the estimated average requirement). Intakes at the 95th percentile were 138% and 173% of the UL using UK and Irish food composition data, respectively, of which milk accounted for 106% and 150% of the UL. This translated into 22% and 35% of toddlers exceeding the UL, using UK and Irish composition data, respectively. The mean (SD) daily intake of cow’s milk among the 91% of consumers was 309 (208) ml. Intakes of cow’s milk at the 75th and 95th percentiles were 452 and 706 ml, respectively. Using Irish composition data for iodine in cows’ milk, a daily intake of 450 ml could result in a toddler exceeding the UL from milk alone.

Conclusions:

Variability in food composition has a large impact on assessments of iodine intake, particularly among young children for whom milk contributes a large proportion of their daily nutrient intake. Although this is unlikely to result in long-term adverse effects, our study highlights the need for development of valid biomarkers of individual iodine status.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the families for participating in the birth cohort and the research team working on the study. We would like to acknowledge Dr Christina Tlustos at the Food Safety Authority of Ireland who provided iodine composition data from the 2012–2014 Total Diet Study for use in this paper. This work is supported by a grant from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Food Institutional Research Measure (grant no. 15/F/703) to Á.H. and M.K. in 2016. The Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort was funded by the National Children’s Research Centre (NCRC) in 2008 and by a grant from the UK Food Standards Agency to J.O’.B.H. and D.M.M. in 2009. The NCRC extended the funding in 2012 to allow extensive nutritional and metabolic phenotyping at 2 years and to enable a similar follow-up at 5 years. L.C.K., A.D.I, J.O.B.H., D.M.M. and M.K. are PIs in the Science Foundation Ireland funded INFANT Research Centre (grant no. 12/RC/2272).

Author contributions

Á.H. and M.K. designed the research and wrote the paper. Á.H. and C.K. updated the iodine composition database and Á.H. conducted the data analysis. C.níC. and E.K.M. collected the dietary intake data and constructed the food consumption database. D.M.M. is the BASELINE Study PI and J.O’.B.H., L.C.K., A.D.I. and M.K. are co-PIs leading the research in BASELINE in their specialist fields. All authors reviewed and approved the final submission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Áine Hennessy, Carol ní Chaoimh, Elaine K. McCarthy, Ciara Kingston & Mairead Kiely

  2. Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Áine Hennessy, Carol ní Chaoimh, Elaine K. McCarthy, Jonathan O’B. Hourihane, Louise C. Kenny, Deirdre M. Murray & Mairead Kiely

  3. Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    Alan D. Irvine

  4. Department of Paediatric Dermatology, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    Alan D. Irvine

  5. National Children’s Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland

    Alan D. Irvine

  6. Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Jonathan O’B. Hourihane & Deirdre M. Murray

  7. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Louise C. Kenny

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  1. Áine Hennessy
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Correspondence to Mairead Kiely.

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Hennessy, Á., ní Chaoimh, C., McCarthy, E.K. et al. Variation in iodine food composition data has a major impact on estimates of iodine intake in young children. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 410–419 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-017-0030-9

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