Assessment of the arachidonic acid content in a select group of foods commonly consumed in the American diet

Arachidonic acid (AA) is a 20-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid found in animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish and eggs. AA plays an important role in cell signaling and the function of all tissues are affected by AA and its metabolites. This study was designed to determine the levels of AA in foods known to be relatively rich in AA and commonly consumed in the American diet. Food items included were beef rib eye, chicken, pork loin, turkey and white tuna packed in water and were selected based on their frequency of consumption. Both raw and cooked samples were analyzed following procedures outlined in USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 8., the most comprehensive data bank on the nutrient composition of food. Experimental values were compared to those published by the USDA in an effort to validate published values. Experimental levels of AA were significantly higher than those reported by the USDA in all cooked foods except chicken thigh. Experimental levels of AA were significantly lower in tuna than those published by the USDA. In addition to the data presented in this study, uncertainty in the reliability of the USDA data for fatty acid analysis is based on the fact that some of their data is taken from empirical estimates. In addition, some of their data is over 30 years old, and hasn't been updated. Since then there have been changes in animal husbandry practices, as well as more reliable lipid analytical techniques. Because of the importance of USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 8 as a reliable source of nutrient content in foods and for determining average daily intakes of nutrients, a reevaluation of the fatty acid data may be warranted.