Contribution of Vitamin D

Background Red meat and meat products can contribute meaningfully to the mean daily intake of vitamin D. Beef and lamb can contain vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] but also potentially vitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 [25(OH)D2], all of which contribute to meat's vitamin D activity. Objectives We aimed to measure the vitamin D3, vitamin D2, 25(OH)D3, and 25(OH)D2 content of Irish beef and lamb. Methods Full striploin steaks (longissimus dorsi) (n = 39) from beef cattle slaughtered in winter, spring, summer, and autumn as well as lamb steaks (hind leg) from sheep slaughtered in autumn (n = 8) were sourced and homogenized. The contents of all 4 vitamin D–related compounds were analyzed using an LC-tandem MS method in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology's standard reference material no. 1546a-Meat Homogenate. The total vitamin D activity of meat was defined as: {vitamin D3 + [25(OH)D3 × 5] + vitamin D2 + [25(OH)D2 × 5]}. Results The median (IQR) total vitamin D activity of striploin beef steak (n = 39, irrespective of season) was 0.56 (0.37–0.91) μg/100 g. The content of all 4 vitamin D compounds in beef steak varied significantly (P
Median total vitamin D activity (including vitamin D3 and D2 plus 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and D2 contents) of Irish beef steak was 0.56 μg/100 g, but varied seasonally (0.31–1.07 μg/100 g).