Abstract
Inadequate intake of essential minerals such as iron and zinc is a public health concern in the UK, particularly for girls and young women. Approximately 30% and 50% of the zinc and iron, respectively, in the UK diet is provided by cereals. In wheat, most of the iron and zinc is contained within the aleurone cell layer; however, aleurone is removed during processing of wheat into white flour. While elemental iron powder is added back into white flour at the milling stage, there is no restoration of zinc. Elemental iron powder has very low bioavailability, and therefore, in our current Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Diet and Health Research Industry Club‐funded project, we are investigating the potential use of aleurone as a bioavailable source of minerals that could be added to wheat‐based foods. This work has relevance for the food industry and may establish the use of aleurone as a functional food ingredient for fortification of a range of cereal‐based food products.
Highlights
Inadequate intake of essential minerals such as iron and zinc is a public health concern in the UK, for girls and young women
Most of the iron and zinc is contained within the aleurone cell layer; aleurone is removed during processing of wheat into white flour
Elemental iron powder has very low bioavailability, and in our current Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Diet and Health Research Industry Club-funded project, we are investigating the potential use of aleurone as a bioavailable source of minerals that could be added to wheat-based foods
Summary
Iron deficiency and zinc deficiency are global nutritional problems. It is estimated that up to 33% of the world population are iron deficient (Zimmermann & Hurrell 2007) and 25% are at risk of chronic zinc deficiency (Maret & Sandstead 2006). Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Rolling Programme (years 5–6) (Bates et al 2016) indicate that cereals provide an average of 25% of the zinc, 31% of the calcium and 39% of the iron in the UK diet. For those consuming a largely plant-based diet, intakes of minerals from cereals are substantially greater than from an omnivorous diet (56% of zinc, 49% of calcium and 28% of iron in diet are provided by a combination of meat, fish and dairy). Phytate is a major inhibitor of iron and zinc absorption, and bioavailability of these minerals from wheat-based foods is low (Hallberg et al 1989; Gibson et al 2010)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
