Lucinda Black winner of APC best poster Prize at UCC Food Research Conference
27 April 2012
Lucinda Black of UCC School of Food and Nutritional Science was awarded the APC Prize for Best Poster at the UCC Food Research Conference which took place on 26-27 April 2012.
Lucinda's poster was entitled "Intakes and dietary sources of vitamin D in the Irish population".
A total of 98% of children and teenagers, and 88% of adults, had mean daily intakes below the United States Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Among supplement users, 91, 88 and 52% of children, teenagers and adults, respectively, had mean daily intakes below the EAR.
The main food groups contributing to total vitamin D intake in children were supplements (26%), meat (17%) and breakfast cereals (15%). In teenagers, the main contributors were meat (22%), supplements (18%) and breakfast cereals (15%). In adults, supplements provided 27%, fish 20% and meat 15%, while fortified breakfast cereals, fat spreads and milk contributed a further 19%. While supplement use can be an effective method for individuals to increase vitamin D intakes, food fortification may be an effective public health strategy to increase intakes if careful consideration is given to the range of products used and the level of vitamin D added.
Her research was supported by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 through the Food Institutional Research Measure of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and by the EURRECA (EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned) Network of Excellence, funded by the European Commission through the 6th Framework Programme.
Photo: Seamus O'Mahony (conference chair), Lucinda Black and Professor Paul McSweeney, UCC
