A New Method for Calculating Pantothenic Acid Content and Determining Appropriate Pantothenic Acid Levels in Foods

Calculating the pantothenic acid (also known as pantothenate and vitamin B5) content per 100 kcal, 100 g or 100 mL, or the reference amount customarily consumed (RACC) of food shows the pantothenic acid content of some foods inappropriately. So, making some food choices based on them to achieve adequate pantothenic acid intake may increase the risks of some chronic diseases. Calculating the pantothenic acid content and determining appropriate pantothenic acid levels (to achieve adequate pantothenic acid intake) based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), and the proposed method were performed in 6,411 food items. Making some food choices based on the FDA and CAC per serving (the serving is derived from the RACC) or CAC per 100 g or 100 mL to achieve adequate pantothenic acid intake exceeded energy needs, which could lead to overweight or obesity. Making some food choices based on the CAC per 100 kcal or CAC per 100 g or 100 mL to achieve adequate pantothenic acid intake did not meet pantothenic acid requirements, which could lead to pantothenic acid deficiency. Some foods that met pantothenic acid requirements were not appropriate food choices based on the CAC per 100 g or 100 mL or CAC per serving to achieve adequate pantothenic acid intake. On the basis of the proposed method, calculating the pantothenic acid content and determining appropriate pantothenic acid levels in foods are performed by considering RACCs and the energy content of foods. Thus, making food choices based on the proposed method met pantothenic acid requirements and did not exceed energy needs. About 96.2% of foods contained pantothenic acid. On the basis of the proposed method, the average (%) of foods containing appropriate pantothenic acid levels in food groups was 30.05%, of which 21.85% was the average of pantothenic acid source (good source of pantothenic acid) foods, and 8.2% was the average of high pantothenic acid (excellent source of pantothenic acid) foods. Poultry products with 88.58%, pork products with 76.22%, lamb, veal, and game products with 68.12%, baby foods with 58.54%, finfish and shellfish products with 55.02%, beef products with 48.19%, and dairy and egg products with 47.2% had the highest averages of foods containing appropriate pantothenic acid levels. The highest amounts of pantothenic acid were found in energy drink (pantothenic acid-fortified), breakfast cereal (pantothenic acid-fortified), liver, formulated bar (pantothenic acid-fortified), water (pantothenic acid-fortified), infant formula (pantothenic acid-fortified), mushrooms (except maitake and morel), kidney, giblets, pancreas, protein shake (pantothenic acid-fortified), nutrition shake (pantothenic acid-fortified), heart, abalone, whey protein powder isolate, emu meat, brain, caribou meat, thymus, goose meat, trout, sunflower seed kernels, chocolate drink (pantothenic acid-fortified), liver cheese, country-style pork ribs, Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), Atlantic salmon, duck meat, pork Boston butt, egg yolks, veggie burgers (pantothenic acid-fortified), whey, cream of potato soup, chicken meat, liver sausage, liverwurst spread, veal whole shoulder (arm and blade), veal sirloin, northern lobster, sockeye salmon (not canned), cream of celery soup, chicken liver pate, veal arm, veal shank (fore and hind), turkey meat, omelet, pork sirloin, ostrich meat, bison chuck shoulder clod, chicken strips or fingers, coho salmon, veal blade, scrambled eggs, pork stomach, pork center loin, veal tongue, veal rib, bison top round, pork loin blade, protein bar (pantothenic acid-fortified), bison top sirloin, pork arm picnic, safflower seed kernels, veal top round, pork top loin, spleen, bluefin tuna, beef outside skirt steak, fireweed leaves, pink salmon (not canned), beef top blade steak, rice bran, chicken and rice, beef lungs, veal loin, elk meat, pheasant meat, lamb tenderloin, guinea hen meat, Pacific herring, and Gjetost cheese. Foods containing appropriate pantothenic acid levels were not found in two food groups (fats and oils; spices and herbs) and were few in five food groups (baked products; sweets; fruits and fruit juices; nut and seed products; snacks).