Taurine content in Chinese food and daily taurine intake of Chinese men

The taurine content in Chinese food, including seafood, fresh water fish, meats and some plants, was examined in this study. Seafood was freshly collected from 4 coastal areas in China. Meat and plant food samples were obtained from food markets. The highest concentration of taurine was found in crustaceans and molluses (300-800 mg per 100 g edible portion). The amount of taurine in fish was variable. Beef, pork and lamb contained taurine in concentrations ranging from 30-160 mg per 100 g. No taurine was detected in hen eggs and plants. The daily taurine intake of representative Chinese men (18-45 years old, 60 kg body weight, light physical activity) was also studied in 1990 as a part of the Total Diet Study. Representative food samples were collected from 12 provinces in 4 areas of China. Samples were then combined and cooked according to food categories (meat, seafood, vegetables, etc). The combined meat and seafood samples were analyzed for taurine. The daily taurine intake of a standard man in the 4 areas was calculated based on the amount of food intake obtained from the dietary survey and the taurine concentration in the analyzed food samples. The result showed that the daily taurine intake of a standard Chinese man in the 4 different test areas ranged from 34 to 80 mg per day.