Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Nutrient Data Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #239448

Title: Development of the USDA Vitamin D Database: Sampling and Analytical Issues

Author
item Lemar, Linda
item Patterson, Kristine
item PHILLIPS, KATERINE - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item HORST, RONALD - Heartland Assays, Inc

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/13/2009
Publication Date: 9/16/2009
Citation: Lemar, L.E., Patterson, K.K., Phillips, K.M., Horst, R.L. 2009. Development of the USDA vitamin D database: sampling and analytical issues. American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) International Annual Meeting, September 13-16, 2009, Baltimore, Maryland.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In September, 2009 the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory is for the first time disseminating the first set of vitamin D values as part of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, SR23. It contains values for approximately 3,000 foods. This database was developed to address the need for to estimate dietary vitamin D intake for the US population, useful to an Institute of Medicine committee in its assessment, and possible revision, of the recommended intakes for vitamin D and calcium. The data release was the culmination of a multi-year project to select, process, and analyze the major sources of vitamin D in the US diet. Significant challenges to obtaining current and accurate analytical data for foods had to be resolved. Previously existing standard methods tended to be labor intensive and were developed for specific food matrices. Also, there was a lack of vitamin D certified reference materials. Probability-based sampling plans were developed for high priority fortified foods, including 12 high consumption vitamin D3 fortified ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals. Twelve primary sample units were collected in 2006 from 12 locations nationwide and randomly assigned to one of four composite groups. Analytical samples along with blinded aliquots of a well-characterized cereal control composite (CC) are being analyzed at each of two laboratories using validated methodology (normal and reverse-phase HPLC with UV detection) after saponification and clean-up using normal and reverse phase chromatography. While the internal standard for many vitamin D determinations is vitamin D2, one method was modified to use tritiated vitamin D3 to allow quantification of any natural vitamin D2 from the plant material as well as the added D3. The careful attention to ongoing quality control and specific method development and the statistical sampling plan will result in reliable food composition data for RTE cereals.