A systematic review of the impacts of post-harvest handling on provitamin A, iron and zinc retention in seven biofortified crops

Abstract

Post-harvest handling can affect micronutrient retention in biofortified crops through to the point of consumption. Here we conduct a systematic review identifying 67 articles examining the retention of micronutrients in conventionally bred biofortified maize, orange sweet potato, cassava, pearl millet, rice, beans and wheat. Provitamin A crops maintain high amounts compared with non-biofortified counterparts. Iron and zinc crops have more variability in micronutrient retention dependent on processing method; for maximum iron and zinc content, whole grain product consumption such as whole wheat flour or only slightly milled brown rice is beneficial. We offer preliminary suggestions for households, regulatory bodies and programme implementers to increase consumer awareness on best practices for preparing crops to maximize micronutrient content, while highlighting gaps in the literature. Our online, interactive Micronutrient Retention Dashboard (https://www.cpnh.cornell.edu/mn-retention-db) offers an at-a-glance view of the compiled minimum and maximum retention found, organized by processing method.