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

Calculating the zinc content per 100 kcal, 100 g or 100 mL, or the reference amount customarily consumed (RACC) of food shows the zinc content of some foods inappropriately. So, making some food choices based on them to achieve adequate zinc intake may increase the risks of some chronic diseases. Calculating the zinc content and determining appropriate zinc levels (to achieve adequate zinc intake) based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), and the proposed method were performed in 7,911 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 zinc 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 zinc intake did not meet zinc requirements, which could lead to zinc deficiency. Some foods that met zinc requirements were not appropriate food choices based on the CAC per 100 g or 100 mL or CAC per serving to achieve adequate zinc intake. On the basis of the proposed method, calculating the zinc content and determining appropriate zinc levels in foods are performed by considering RACCs and the energy content of foods. Thus, making food choices based on the proposed method met zinc requirements and did not exceed energy needs. About 97.5% of foods contained zinc. On the basis of the proposed method, the average (%) of foods containing appropriate zinc levels in food groups was 34.39%, of which 17.63% was the average of zinc source (good source of zinc) foods, and 16.76% was the average of high zinc (excellent source of zinc) foods. Beef products with 98.71%, lamb, veal, and game products with 94.89%, pork products with 90.32%, poultry products with 80%, breakfast cereals with 61.67%, baby foods with 61.64%, sausages and luncheon meats with 55.69%, nut and seed products with 44.44%, fast foods with 39.29%, American Indian/Alaska Native foods with 36.36%, legumes and legume products with 33.13%, restaurant foods with 30.43%, finfish and shellfish products with 24.53%, meals, entrees, and side dishes with 22.5%, dairy and egg products with 20.88%, and cereal grains and pasta with 20.44% had the highest averages of foods containing appropriate zinc levels. The highest amounts of zinc were found in oyster, breakfast cereal (zinc-fortified), beef meat, oyster stew, bear meat, bison meat, deer meat, lamb meat, elk meat, emu meat, crab, veal meat, lobster, Beefalo meat, mutton meat, peanut butter (zinc-fortified), protein shake (zinc-fortified), goat meat, caribou meat, ostrich meat, pork meat, buffalo meat, formulated bar (zinc-fortified), chili, turkey meat, chocolate drink (zinc-fortified), nutrition shake (zinc-fortified), hyacinth beans, sea lion meat, horse meat, split pea soup with ham (chunky), hearts of palm, moose meat, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, watermelon seed kernels, sesame seeds, whale meat, quail meat, squab meat, cuttlefish, octopus, seal meat, chunky beef soup, beef and mushroom soup (chunky), wild rice, goose meat, tripe soup, boar meat, beef jerky, catjang cowpeas, whelk, soy vermicelli, blue mussel, fireweed leaves, chunky beef stroganoff, chunky turkey soup, and pulled pork in barbecue sauce. Foods containing appropriate zinc levels were not found in three food groups (fats and oils; fruits and fruit juices; spices and herbs) and were very few in three food groups (baked products; sweets; vegetables and vegetable products).