Intake of game birds in the UK: assessment of the contribution to the dietary intake of lead by women of childbearing age and children

Objective: Concern has recently been expressed about Pb levels in Pb-shot
game meat. Our aim was to determine the consumption of game birds in
a representative sample population in the UK, and in children and women of
childbearing age in particular.

Design: Population-based cross-sectional cohort study. Data from 4 d diet diaries from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS; 2008–2010) were
extracted to analyse data on game bird consumption in the sample population, in
women of childbearing age (15–45 years old) and in children #6 years old.

Setting: Home-based study in representative areas of the UK.

Subjects: Participants in the NDNS (2008–2010; n 2126, age 1?5 to .65 years).
Results: Fifty-eight participants (2?7%) reported eating game birds. The mean
intake was 19?5 (SD 18?1) g/d (median 15?6, range 1?3–92?9 g/d). In women of
childbearing age (15–45 years), 11/383 (2?9%) reported eating game birds, with a mean intake of 22?4 (SD 25?8) g/d (median 15?6, range 2?0–92?9 g/d). In children aged #6 years old, 3/342 (0?9%) were reported as eating game birds, with a mean intake of 6?8 (SD 9?7) g/d (median 2?4, range 1?3–23?2 g/d).

Conclusions: The prevalence of consumption of game birds by women of
childbearing age and children #6 years old was relatively low and intakes
were small. However, any exposure to Pb in these two groups is undesirable.
As are uncertainties about the ability of the diet diary method to capture the
consumption of food items that are infrequently consumed, alternative methods
of capturing these data should be used in future studies.