Consumption patterns of meat, poultry, and fish after disaggregation of mixed dishes: secondary analysis of the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011–12

BACKGROUND: With the increased consumption of mixed dishes, the need for more precise quantitative data on individual food components is becoming more important. This paper aims to examine the consumption of meat, poultry, and fish before and after disaggregation of mixed dishes, and its contribution to energy and nutrient intakes in a representative sample of Australians. METHODS: This study utilised a 24-h recall of 12,153 people aged two years and over participating in the 2011–12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Consumption of meat/poultry/fish was examined before and after disaggregation of mixed dishes where all meat products and mixed dishes were separated into individual food components. Comparison between these two methods was undertaken for consumption data and contribution to energy and nutrient intakes, reported by meat type. RESULTS: Disaggregation of mixed dishes resulted in lower estimated intakes of red meat (9%), poultry (25%), and fish (18%) but higher estimates of processed meat (17%). Meat/poultry/fish contributed approximately 25% of total energy intake, 49% protein, 29% saturated fat, 26% iron, and 38% of zinc intake after disaggregation, which was significantly higher than their contributions reflected in survey data containing mixed dishes. Per-capita consumption of all meat/poultry/fish was 118 g/day for children and 162 g/day for adults, with chicken and beef being the highest contributors. CONCLUSION: These findings provide a detailed picture of meat/poultry/fish consumption in Australia, and emphasise the need for population studies to disaggregate reported food information to provide a more precise estimate of consumption. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40795-017-0171-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.