The New Zealand food supply and diet - trends 1961-95 and comparison with other OECD countries

Aims. To compare the New Zealand food supply and trends from 1961 to 1995 w ith other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cou ntries, with an emphasis on foods linked with coronary heart disease (CHD), Method. Food and Agricultural Organization per capita food supply statistic s for 24 OECD countries were converted to nutritional supply values and adj usted for edible portion, Results. in 1995, New Zealand had the highest supply per,capita of butter a nd meat fats among OECD countries, ranking its food supply highest for thro mbogenicity and third for atherogenicity. Seafood and alcohol supply were a verage and vitamin E supply was high compared with other OECD countries. Be neficial trends have occurred with increases in fruit consumption, vegetabl e consumption and fibre intake between 1961 and 1995, While total fat intak e has not changed appreciably, the fatty acid profile has shifted and is no w less likely to promote CHD. Conclusions, The New Zealand diet's tendency to promote CHD has decreased, particularly since 1985. The diet's fatty acid profile, however, remains hi ghly atherogenic and thrombogenic, predisposing to CHD, and the fat content of the food supply remains high, predisposing to obesity. Continued effort s are needed to improve the diet of New Zealanders and to maintain food sup ply data collection for long term monitoring of these changes.