The Fortification of Flours and Their Contribution to the Intake of Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, Folic Acid), Iron, and Zinc in Preschool Population

Abstract

Abstract Objectives The objective was to determine the level of fortification of wheat and maize flours marketed in Hermosillo, Sonora and their effect on the micronutrient contribution of preschool children in Hermosillo. Methods 35 samples of commercial fortified flours from Hermosillo, Sonora were analyzed. Iron and zinc were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, following AOAC method 999.10 (2011) and the content of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In addition, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, with non-probabilistic sampling for convenience and voluntary participation of 106 preschool children from 4 public schools in Hermosillo, who were given an anthropometric, biochemical and dietary assessment. Results The ranges of iron concentrations in wheat and maize flours were 48.95–89.94 mg/kg and 38.55–52.10 mg/kg for zinc, while for vitamins they were 17.93–86.59 mg/kg for thiamine, 14.48- 29.47 mg/kg for riboflavin, 10.29–21.8 mg/kg for niacin and 0.00–2.38 mg/kg for folic acid. The biochemical evaluation showed that 4% of the preschoolers were anaemic, while 84% were deficient in iron reserves. On the other hand, in the dietary evaluation it was observed that among the foods most consumed by preschool children were wheat and maize flour tortillas, pastas, industrial biscuits and breakfast cereals and according to what was reported in the food frequency questionnaire, all the B complex vitamins cover more than 100% of the daily recommendation, while in the case of minerals, more than half of the population reaches to cover the daily recommendations for iron and zinc. Conclusions The results of this work show how adequate government oversight is needed to ensure that the correct addition of micronutrients to flour is met, which could improve the nutritional status of micronutrients in the general population. Funding Sources Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C.