A Swiss population-based assessment of dietary habits before and after the March 1996 'mad cow disease' crisis.

OBJECTIVE

To assess differences in dietary habits in the general population of Geneva, Switzerland, after the 1996 (BSE) crisis.

DESIGN

Repeated population-based survey during 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996.

SETTING

The Bus Santé 2000 epidemiological observatory of Geneva, Switzerland.

SUBJECTS: A representative sample of 1190 men and 1154 women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Dietary habits assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.

RESULTS

The proportion of women who reported not having eaten beef was 7.7% in 1993-1995 and went up to 14.6% in 1996 (age-adjusted difference +6.4%, 95% CI +2.4 to +10.4). Among men, the proportion of non-beef-eaters remained constant (5%). There was a sharp increase of women who did not eat liver (+14.7%, +9.1 to +20.3) but less so in men (+2 5.1%, -0.7 to +10.8). Among women who ate meat, the amount of beef intake decreased by 120 g/month (95% CI -208 to -36). While chicken intake increased (+44 g/month, -2 to 88), overall intake of meat (including poultry but not fish) declined by 204 g/month (or 2.7 kg per year). In men the decrease in beef intake was not statistically significant (-48 g/month, -172 to 80), but consumption of chicken increased (+2 56g/month, +8 to +104). Fish intake was stable in both genders. The reduction in intake of animal protein (-3.5 g/day) in women and of retinol intake in both sexes (women -77 micrograms/day; men -56 micrograms/day) was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The BSE crisis coincided with spontaneous differences in food habits, especially in women, that may have nutritional consequences at the population level.