Results of analysis of the 1994 Dutch duplicate 24-hour diet samples: fatty acids

In spring and fall 1994, 123 respondents participated in a duplicate 24-h diet study. Each respondent collected one duplicate of the food and drinks, including drinking water he/she consumed in a continuous 24-h period. Lyophilised subsamples were analysed for fatty acid content by means of an in-house developed and validated gas chromatographic method with flame ionisation detection. From these data the fatty acid intake per person per day and the fatty acid profile were calculated. From the measured fatty acid content, the calculated intake of all participants was on average: for fat 79.9 g, for fatty acids 62.9 g, for saturated fatty acids 29.0 g, for monounsaturated fatty acids 22.8 g, for polyunstaturated fatty acids 9.7 g and for trans fatty acids 3.8 g. The intake expressed as percentage of the total energy intake (en%) of all participants was on average: for saturated fatty acids 12.7 en%, for monounsaturated fatty acids 10.0 en%, for polyunstaturated fatty acids 4.3 en% and for trans fatty acids 1.7 en%. The average intake on fat was 35.0 en% and the average fatty acids intake was 27.6 en% No differences were found between both sampling periods nor between men and women. The average intake of fat equals and of saturated fatty acids was above the recommendation of the Dutch Food and Nutrition Council (Voedingsraad) of a maximum of 30–35 en% of fat and of a maximum of 10 en% of saturated fatty acids. The fatty acid profile found in this study corresponds well with the profile found in the 1984/1985 duplicate diet study.