Summary
This paper, published in the journal Nutrients in 2013, reviews the bioavailability of minerals delivered through fortified food products, examining how factors such as mineral speciation, food matrix composition, and co-consumed dietary components influence the effectiveness of fortification strategies. The authors assess evidence across key minerals including iron, zinc, and calcium, evaluating the extent to which fortified foods can reliably contribute to recommended intakes. The review provides a critical appraisal of the science underpinning mineral fortification as a public health intervention.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly applicable to UK food and nutrition policy, particularly in the context of mandatory and voluntary food fortification programmes overseen by the Food Standards Agency and UK Health Security Agency. Insights into mineral bioavailability from fortified foods are relevant to UK dietary reference value frameworks and to assessment of fortification efficacy in staple foods consumed by the UK population.
Key measures
Mineral bioavailability (% absorption); mineral forms used in fortification; inhibiting and enhancing dietary factors; estimated contribution to dietary reference values
Outcomes reported
The study examined the bioavailability of minerals (such as iron, zinc, and calcium) from fortified food products, assessing the degree to which added minerals are absorbed and utilised by the human body. It likely compared fortification vehicles, mineral forms, and dietary factors influencing absorption efficiency.
Topic tags
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