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Analyzing vitamin D in foods and supplements: methodologic challenges^1,2,3,4

¹ From the Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, US Department of Agriculture (WCB, JMH, and WRW); the Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, (JE, JMH, LEL, and KYP); Medallion Laboratories (JD); Boston University Medical Center (MFH); the Medical University of South Carolina (BWH); Heartland Assays (RLH); The Coca-Cola Company (ML); the Food Analysis Laboratory and Control Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (KMP and MTT-T)

ABSTRACT

This report briefly reviews existing methods for analyzing the vitamin D content of fortified and unfortified foods. The existing chemical methods are similar; all are time consuming, require experienced technicians, and have only been validated for a few materials (eg, dairy products or animal feed materials). This report also describes the lack of standard reference materials with certified values for vitamin D that laboratories need to guarantee the accuracy of existing analytic methods. Recently, the US Department of Agriculture, as part of a project to update the vitamin D values in the National Nutrient Database of Standard Reference, established an analytic methods committee to compare several existing vitamin D methods and to characterize 5 control materials (skim milk, processed cheese, cereal, orange juice, and salmon). Initial relative SDs for the 5 materials ranged from 35% to 50%. Elimination of systematic biases related to the methods and the standards yielded much more satisfactory relative SDs of 7% to 12%. This research has shown that existing methods for analyzing the vitamin D content in foods can produce accurate results. A new, simpler, and faster method, however, would greatly benefit the field. To guarantee accuracy, we need certified reference materials for foods.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M Holden and L. E Lemar Assessing vitamin D contents in foods and supplements: challenges and needs Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 551S - 553S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A Yetley Assessing the vitamin D status of the US population Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 558S - 564S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]