PANCAKE – Pilot study for the Assessment of Nutrient intake and food Consumption Among Kids in Europe
Meta data
This external report is the output from a scientific or technical project that EFSA has funded to support its work in accordance with Article 36 of EFSA’s Founding Regulation. It was produced by the beneficiaries of an EFSA grant following a call for proposal published on the EFSA website. For more information on this procedure see Article 36 cooperation. It is published complying with the transparency principle to which EFSA is subject and cannot be considered as an output adopted by EFSA. EFSA reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors.
Abstract
The objective of the Pilot study for Assessment of Nutrient intake and food Consumption Among Kids in Europe (PANCAKE) project was to develop, test, and evaluate tools and procedures for a future harmonised pan-European food consumption survey (EU Menu) among infants, toddlers, children (up to ten years), and breastfeeding women. Protocols, tools and procedures for the collection of food consumption data among the required age groups were developed. The protocols include instructions for random sampling, recruitment, administration and data handling of the food diaries and questionnaires, weight and height measurement, and evaluation. The tools include age-group specific food diaries (two versions) and out-of-home registration booklets, software for data entry of the food diaries (EPIC-Soft®,IARC, Lyon, France), validated picture books for portion size estimation, a web repository for the picture series, a questionnaire on background characteristics, a food propensity questionnaire, a data entry tool for the questionnaires and weight and height data, and evaluation questionnaires. Two pilot studies were conducted using two alternative dietary assessment methods in 103 and 92 participants in Belgium and in 117 and 114 participants in Czech Republic, respectively. The two dietary assessment methods were 1) the three-day food diary checked with the parent/caretaker and data entry afterwards using EPIC-Soft; and 2) two non-consecutive one-day food diaries followed by an EPIC-Soft completion interview with the parent/caretaker. The picture series were sufficiently valid and all tools and protocols were evaluated as feasible. Some specific recommendations were made for further improvement. Although both developed dietary assessment methods were feasible, it was concluded that the two one-day food diaries with completion interviews offered more advantages for the future pan-European survey in children aged zero to ten years. Overall, the PANCAKE project contributed significantly to the roadmap towards a harmonised pan-European food consumption survey.
© Pancake-consortium 2012. Parts of this publication may be reproduced, provided acknowledgement is given to the ‘PANCAKE consortium’, along with the authors, title and year of publication as mentioned on page 1.