BackgroundNutrient intake during the phase of complementary feeding is pivotal for healthy development, yet current data for European infants are lacking.ObjectiveTo provide latest data on energy and nutrient intake of infants in Germany, to compare these with the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) of the European Food Safety Authority, and to assess the contribution of vitamin D supplementation and commercial infant foods to nutrient intake.DesignAnalyses are based on weighed food records (3 + 1 day) of 118 infants aged 6–11 months from the representative cross-sectional Children’s Nutrition Survey to Record Food Consumption (KiESEL) conducted in Germany from 2014 to 2017. Energy and nutrient intake was calculated using the German Nutrient Database BLS 3.02, the LEBTAB database, and a supplement database.ResultsMedian energy and protein intakes were above DRVs, while fat intake was below. Dietary vitamin and mineral intakes mostly met or exceeded the DRVs. However, iron intake reached neither the Population Reference Intake nor the Average Requirement. Vitamin D intake from foods was below half the Adequate Intake (AI). When additionally considering vitamin D supplements, administered to 51.7% of infants, the AI was reached. Girls’ iodine intake was below the DRVs. In contrast, the intakes found for retinol equivalents, vitamin K, and vitamin C were about four times the DRVs. Commercial infant foods were key dietary sources for all nutrients for which intakes deviated considerably from DRVs.ConclusionMicronutrient intake, particularly of iron and vitamin D, needs improving in infants aged 6–11 months in Germany. Vitamin D supplementation was a prerequisite for meeting the AI, confirming the necessity for vitamin D supplements in infancy and the promotion of the respective recommendations. The considerable up- and downward deviations from DRVs point to a need for adjusting fortification levels of commercial infant foods in European legislation.

BackgroundNutrition in the first years of life is a cornerstone for child development and long-term health, yet there is a lack of current data on energy and nutrient intake among toddlers and preschoolers in Germany.ObjectiveTo analyze energy and nutrient intake in toddlers (1- to 2-year-olds) and preschoolers (3- to 5-year-olds) in Germany and compare the results with the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) by the European Food Safety Authority.DesignDietary intake was assessed by weighed food record data (3 + 1 day) of 890 children from the representative cross-sectional Children’s Nutrition Survey to Record Food Consumption (KiESEL), carried out in 2014–2017 as a module of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents Wave 2. For the calculation of energy and nutrient intake, the German Nutrient Database BLS 3.02, LEBTAB, and a supplement database were used.ResultsMedian intakes of energy and most nutrients met or exceeded the DRVs in both toddlers and preschoolers. However, low intakes relative to DRVs were found for vitamin D (6–9% of DRV, including supplements) and iodine (57–65% of DRV). Age specific downward deviations were observed for iron intake in toddlers (75% of DRV) and for calcium intake in preschoolers (67–77% of DRV). In contrast, intakes were high for saturated fatty acids (SFA) (14–16 E%), mono-/disaccharides (60–87 g/day), and protein [2.1–2.6 g/(kg body weight*day)].ConclusionNutrient imbalances in toddlers and preschoolers in Germany, which are partly age-related, give rise to concern. Research is needed to determine if routine vitamin D supplementation should be extended beyond infancy. Public health efforts to increase the rate of use of iodized salt and to reduce the intake of SFA and mono-/disaccharides in children’s diets are to be strengthened.

(1) Background: The German version of GloboDiet, a software for a computer-based assessment of 24 h recalls, was intensively updated. Therefore, validation is required prior to its use in the upcoming data collection within the German National Nutrition Monitoring. (2) Methods: For this purpose, the cross-sectional ErNst study with 109 participants (57 women and 52 men) was conducted. The study provided data on 24 h GloboDiet recalls and 24 h urine samples from the same day. Protein and potassium intake, known as eligible validation markers, were compared to the measured excretion in urine. To assess the agreement between intake and excretion, the following statistical methods were used: Wilcoxon rank tests, confidence intervals, Spearman correlations, and Bland–Altman plots. (3) Results: Overall, the updated German GloboDiet version showed valid estimates of protein intake. Regarding potassium, results were ambiguous and differed depending on the statistical method applied. While the Bland–Altman plot showed a good agreement between 24 h recalls and urine samples for potassium, the correlation was weak, suggesting that 24 h recalls may underestimate true intake. (4) Conclusions: Despite the partly ambiguous results, the updated GloboDiet version linked to the current German Nutrient Database provides valid estimates of nutrient intake.

Background On the national level, nutritional monitoring requires the assessment of reliable representative dietary intake data. To achieve this, standardized tools need to be developed, validated, and kept up-to-date with recent developments in food products and the nutritional behavior of the population. Recently, the human intestinal microbiome has been identified as an essential mediator between nutrition and host health. Despite growing interest in this connection, only a few associations between the microbiome, nutrition, and health have been clearly established. Available studies paint an inconsistent picture, partly due to a lack of standardization. Objective First, we aim to verify if food consumption, as well as energy and nutrient intake of the German population, can be recorded validly by means of the dietary recall software GloboDiet, which will be applied in the German National Nutrition Monitoring. Second, we aim to obtain high-quality data using standard methods on the microbiome, combined with dietary intake data and additional fecal sample material, and to also assess the functional activity of the microbiome by measuring microbial metabolites. Methods Healthy female and male participants aged between 18 and 79 years were recruited. Anthropometric measurements included body height and weight, BMI, and bioelectrical impedance analysis. For validation of the GloboDiet software, current food consumption was assessed with a 24-hour recall. Nitrogen and potassium concentrations were measured from 24-hour urine collections to enable comparison with the intake of protein and potassium estimated by the GloboDiet software. Physical activity was measured over at least 24 hours using a wearable accelerometer to validate the estimated energy intake. Stool samples were collected in duplicate for a single time point and used for DNA isolation and subsequent amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to determine microbiome composition. For the identification of associations between nutrition and the microbiome, the habitual diet was determined using a food frequency questionnaire covering 30 days. Results In total, 117 participants met the inclusion criteria. The study population was equally distributed between the sexes and 3 age groups (18-39, 40-59, and 60-79 years). Stool samples accompanying habitual diet data (30-day food frequency questionnaire) are available for 106 participants. Current diet data and 24-hour urine samples for the validation of GloboDiet are available for 109 participants, of which 82 cases also include physical activity data. Conclusions We completed the recruitment and sample collection of the ErNst study with a high degree of standardization. Samples and data will be used to validate the GloboDiet software for the German National Nutrition Monitoring and to compare microbiome composition and nutritional patterns. Trial Registration German Register of Clinical Studies DRKS00015216; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00015216 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/42529

AbstractIntroductionA comparison of means of food consumption assessed by three different dietary assessment methods (diet history interviews [DHI], 24h-recalls [24HR] and weighing food records [WR]) used in the German National Nutrition Survey (NVS) II showed higher consumption means in 7 out of 18 food groups for DHI compared to 24HR and WR. Especially for food groups perceived as socially desirable such as fruit and vegetable means were highest for DHI. In the following, it is examined whether differences in fruit and vegetable consumption assessed by three different dietary assessment methods are related to sex, age, body mass index (BMI) or socio economic status (SES).MethodsA subgroup of 677 participants of the NVS II (2005–2007, 14–80 years of age) completed all three dietary assessment methods. DHI covered the food consumption of the past month, 24HR of the previous day and WR two times four days. Body height and weight were measured. SES was defined as an index based on the household income, employment status of the household's principle earner, and education level of the participant. The Multiple Source Method was applied to estimate population distributions of usual intakes based on two 24HR. Confidence intervals were calculated on basis of bootstrapping samples. Differences are considered to be significant if confidence intervals do not overlap.ResultsFor vegetable consumption, all subgroups regarding sex (male, female), age (14–18 years, 19–24 years, 25–34 years, 51–64 years, 65 years and older), body mass index (< 25 kg/m2, 25–30 kg/m2, > 30 kg/m2) and SES (5 groups from 1 = lower to 5 = upper SES) showed higher means for DHI compared to 24HR and WR. For fruit consumption, in almost all subgroups higher means for DHI compared to 24HR and WR could be found, except for the age group 19–24 years and the lowest SES group.DiscussionThe results show that higher means in fruit and vegetable consumption assessed by DHI compared to 24HR and WR are independent of sex, age, BMI and SES. A reason why socially desirable foods like fruit or vegetables are stated in higher amounts by DHI may be the enormous cognitive task of participants necessary to estimate quantities and frequencies over the long period of time covered by DHI.

Comparison of food consumption, nutrient intake and underreporting of diet history interviews, 24-h recalls and weighed food records to gain further insight into specific strength and limitations of each method and to support the choice of the adequate dietary assessment method.

To further characterise the performance of the diet history method and the 24-h recalls method, both in an updated version, a comparison was conducted.

School milk consumption has declined steadily in Germany. To retrieve quantifiable information on the different influencing factors and to provide approaches to improve the school milk demand, a research project(1) was set up by the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. The main objective is to evaluate the impact of factors like price, attitudes and habits (especially consumption habits), social background, gender, economic situation, knowledge; product range and distribution form, as well as of nutritional education measures. Schools located in North Rhine Westphalia were selected by stratified random sampling. The impacts of prices are derived in a price experiment in which the price of school milk was reduced stepwise during the school year 2008/09, and increased over the school year 2009/10, while quantities of demand are reported regularly. Almost all other information/data is captured by questionnaires given to pupils, parents, class teachers, school principals, school milk managers, and delivery firms, with a focus on the consumption of dairy products, attitudes towards school milk and milk in general, acceptance of the school milk program, distribution problems throughout the chain as well as on the handling. This article presents the design and first descriptive results.

As part of the NVS II, the food consumption of 15 371 persons aged between 14 and 80 was recorded with the help of a diet history interview, for the period from November 2005 to November 2006.As judged by the recommendations of the DGE (the German Society for Nutrition), the Germans eat too little food from plants, especially vegetables and food rich in carbohydrates. They also eat too much meat and sausage. A favourable result was that the recommendation for mean fluid intake was easily fulfilled on average.In comparison to the data from the Federal Health Survey for 1998, there had been a slight increase in the consumption of fruit, fish and alcohol-free drinks. There had been a slight decrease in the consumption of meat and sausage within the last 8 years.