Vitamin D composition of Australian game products

The vitamin D content of many Australian game products is unknown. These foods are potential sources of vitamin D for remote-dwelling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, of whom 39% are vitamin D deficient (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25(OH)D₃) concentrations < 50 nmol/L). Vitamin D₃, 25(OH)D₃, vitamin D₂ and 25(OH)D₂ were measured by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QQQ) in raw meat (camel, crocodile, emu, kangaroo), emu eggs and emu oil. Vitamin D₃ (range, 0.5-14.5 μg/100 g) was found in all products except camel and kangaroo. All samples except kangaroo contained 25(OH)D₃; some camel samples contained relatively high concentrations (range, 0.4-5.2 μg/100 g). Vitamin D₂ was found in emu products and some kangaroo samples. We detected trace amounts of 25(OH)D₂ in some camel and kangaroo samples. This study provides valuable insight into foods with a paucity of data on vitamin D content, showing that some are potentially useful sources of vitamin D.