Identifying Nutrient Patterns in South African Foods to Support National Nutrition Guidelines and Policies

• Main Authors: Yusentha Balakrishna, Samuel Manda, Henry Mwambi, Averalda van Graan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: food composition database; nutrient pattern; nutrient composition; principal component analysis; food-based dietary guideline; salt intake
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3194

Food composition databases (FCDBs) provide the nutritional content of foods and are essential for developing nutrition guidance and effective intervention programs to improve nutrition of a population. In public and nutritional health research studies, FCDBs are used in the estimation of nutrient intake profiles at the population levels. However, such studies investigating nutrient co-occurrence and profile patterns within the African context are very rare. This study aimed to identify nutrient co-occurrence patterns within the South African FCDB (SAFCDB). A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to 28 nutrients and 971 foods in the South African FCDB to determine compositionally similar food items. A second principal component analysis was applied to the food items for validation. Eight nutrient patterns (NPs) explaining 73.4% of the nutrient variation among foods were identified: (1) high magnesium and manganese; (2) high copper and vitamin B₁₂; (3) high animal protein, niacin, and vitamin B₆; (4) high fatty acids and vitamin E; (5) high calcium, phosphorous and sodium; (6) low moisture and high available carbohydrate; (7) high cholesterol and vitamin D; and (8) low zinc and high vitamin C. Similar food patterns (FPs) were identified from a PCA on food items, yielding subgroups such as dark-green, leafy vegetables and, orange-coloured fruit and vegetables. One food pattern was associated with high sodium levels and contained bread, processed meat and seafood, canned vegetables, and sauces. The data-driven nutrient and food patterns found in this study were consistent with and support the South African food-based dietary guidelines and the national salt regulations.