ABSTRACT
To calculate mineral intake, the different foods were grouped into main categories, but it was made certain that all foods in the same category had a similar trace element content, to avoid unrealistic mean values. Food intakes were obtained from the publications of the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Economiques (INSEE) (6). The Institute publishes lists of all foods purchased by French households. We took into account the results according to the age of the head of the family. The INSEE also indicates the proportion of meals consumed outside the home, thereby making it possible to introduce the correction required to obtain the real food intake in the families described.
