Developing a food list for a new 24-h dietary recall tool for New Zealand

A 24-h dietary recall is commonly used in national nutrition surveys to assess population diets. Intake24, an automated United Kingdom tool, was selected and modified for use in New Zealand in 2023. This study aimed to develop a local food list for Intake24-New Zealand.

A draft food list developed for the Australian 2023 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey was the starting point due to similarities in food supply between the two countries. Additional New Zealand foods were identified using the New Zealand Food Composition Database, New Zealand dietary intake studies, household purchasing data, and consultation with nutritionists working with ethnic communities. Food names and recipes were revised and included to reflect New Zealand versions and linked to New Zealand food composition data.

The final New Zealand food list contained 2618 foods which included: 968 foods that were matched to nutrient lines from the New Zealand Food Composition Database; 558 new recipes; 1028 foods that were matched to other food composition databases; and 64 foods which needed to be matched.

This contemporary New Zealand food list will facilitate the use of Intake24 New Zealand in national surveys, research studies, and clinical practice.