Mineral bioavailability in foods made with gluten-free commercial premixes

Abstract

Introduction: Celiac disease has prevalence between 1% and 2% in Argentina. The only effective treatment for this pathology is a permanent gluten-free diet. This can lead to possible nutrient deficiencies. The objective of the present work was to determine the bioaccessibility of iron, calcium and zinc, in gluten-free foods prepared with commercial premixes available in the Argentinean market. Material and methods: 12 foods prepared with 9 different premixes were analyzed: Pastry products (pudding and cake), breads and pizzas were analyzed. The total content of iron, calcium and zinc was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry and dialyzability (D%) by an in vitro method that simulates gastrointestinal conditions. The potential contribution (PA) was calculated based on its total content and dialyzability. Since the PA represents the mineral available for absorption, this data was compared with the minimum requirement (R) values. Results: The iron content in the samples varied between 0.4-2.5 mg/100 g; calcium between 22-167 mg/100 g and zinc 0.13-1.93 mg/100 g. In the case of D%, the following values were obtained: D% Fe: 11.8-20.1%; D% Ca: 15.6-28.9% and D% Zn: 8.1-15.7%. Regarding the percentage of coverage of the daily requirements with a portion of the foods studied, we could observe that there was a great variation depending on the food and the age group studied. Conclusion: The content and amount of minerals available from the gluten-free foods analyzed are relatively low.