{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T21:33:28Z","timestamp":1778103208201,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,25]],"date-time":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1593043200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Special low protein foods (SLPFs) are essential in a low phenylalanine diet for treating phenylketonuria (PKU). With little known about their nutritional composition, all SLPFs on UK prescription were studied (n = 146) and compared to equivalent protein-containing foods (n = 190). SLPF nutritional analysis was obtained from suppliers\/manufacturers. Comparable information about regular protein-containing foods was obtained from online UK supermarkets. Similar foods were grouped together, with mean nutritional values calculated for each subgroup (n = 40) and percentage differences determined between SLPFs and regular food subgroups. All SLPF subgroups contained 43\u2013100% less protein than regular foods. Sixty-three percent (n = 25\/40) of SLPF subgroups contained less total fat with palm oil (25%, n = 36\/146) and hydrogenated vegetable oil (23%, n = 33\/146) key fat sources. Sixty-eight percent (n = 27\/40) of SLPF subgroups contained more carbohydrate, with 72% (n = 105\/146) containing added sugar. Key SLPF starch sources were maize\/corn (72%; n = 105\/146). Seventy-seven percent (n = 113\/146) of SLPFs versus 18% (n = 34\/190) of regular foods contained added fibre, predominantly hydrocolloids. Nine percent of SLPFs contained phenylalanine &gt; 25 mg\/100 g and sources of phenylalanine\/protein in their ingredient lists. Stricter nutritional composition regulations for SLPFs are required, identifying maximum upper limits for macronutrients and phenylalanine, and fat and carbohydrate sources that are associated with healthy outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12061893","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,26]],"date-time":"2020-06-26T05:19:36Z","timestamp":1593148776000},"page":"1893","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Special Low Protein Foods in the UK: An Examination of Their Macronutrient Composition in Comparison to Regular Foods"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8673-4368","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgina","family":"Wood","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health, Education &amp; Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, City South Campus, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK"}]},{"given":"Sharon","family":"Evans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Birmingham Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s NHS Foundation Trust, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham B4 6NH, UK"}]},{"given":"Kiri","family":"Pointon-Bell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health, Education &amp; Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, City South Campus, Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4977-8345","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J\u00falio C\u00e9sar","family":"Rocha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutrition &amp; Metabolism, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ci\u00eancias M\u00e9dicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo M\u00e1rtires da P\u00e1tria, 130, 1169-056 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), R. Dr. Pl\u00e1cido da Costa, s\/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"MacDonald","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Birmingham Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s NHS Foundation Trust, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham B4 6NH, UK"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1186\/s13023-017-0685-2","article-title":"The complete European guidelines on phenylketonuria: Diagnosis and treatment","volume":"12","author":"MacDonald","year":"2017","journal-title":"Orphanet J. Rare Dis."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"57","article-title":"Living with phenylketonuria: Lessons from the PKU community","volume":"17","author":"Ford","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mol. Genet. Metab. 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