Assessing national nutrition security: The UK reliance on imports to meet population energy and nutrient recommendations

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192649
• Publication Date: 2018-02-28T13:36:31Z
• Authors: Jennie I. Macdiarmid; Heather Clark; Stephen Whybrow; Henri de Ruiter; Geraldine McNeill
• Keywords: Energy Security

Nutrition security describes the adequacy of food supply to meet not only energy but also macronutrient and micronutrient requirements for population. The aim this study was develop a method assess trends in national nutrition contribution imports security, using UK as case study. Food data from FAO balance sheets composition tables were used estimate nutrient content domestically produced food, imported exported food. defined total (domestic production, minus exports, plus imports) population-level requirements. results showed that secure over period 1961-2011 energy, macronutrients key micronutrients, with exception carbohydrates fibre, which may be due loss fibre incurred by processing cereals into refined products. protein exceeded population could met domestic production alone. Even excluding all meat there sufficient fat, saturated fat sugar considerably current dietary recommendation. As regards 2010, reliant on foods carbohydrate, iron, zinc vitamin A This analysis demonstrates importance including nutrients other than determine supply. methodology provides an alternative perspective self-sufficiency assessing dependency level nutritional