Zinc content and bioavailability in the Irish diet

The average daily intake of zinc for the Irish urban population was estimated from information on foods purchased, obtained from The Household Budget Survey Annual Urban Inquiry for 1979. Per capita intake of zinc for the 1,678 households included in the survey was 9.1 mg, which was identical to that reported in Britain and was less than two-thirds of the adult RDA. The major dietary sources of zinc were meat and meat products, including fish (39%), cereal products (27%) and dairy products (21%). As gross weekly income per household increased, the percentage of dietary zinc provided by bread and cereals decreased and the percentage provided by meat and fish increased, indicating a high bioavailability of zinc from the diets of higher-income families compared to those of lower income. The intakes of copper, iron, calcium and phytic acid, which interact with zinc, were also estimated and found to be present in the diet in quantities not usually considered detrimental to zinc status.