Mineral composition of commercially available nanbu-senbei

Abstract

Variation in mineral composition of commercially available Nanbu-senbei (with sesame seeds or peanuts) and comparison of their contents with those in the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan were determined for 9 minerals, Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn. Nanbu-senbei was collected from Morioka, and its mineral composition was measured and compared with the calculated values obtained from the Standard Tables. The measured mineral concentrations in commercially available Nanbu-senbei were higher than the calculated values. In Nanbu-senbei with peanuts, the mineral composition was affected by the main and side ingredients. In Nanbu-senbei with sesame seeds, the ash content was significantly higher than the calculated values and significant positive correlations between measured and calculated values of Mg, Ca, P, Zn, Cu and Mn were observed.