Evaluation of the content, dialyzability and potential contribution of iron, zinc and calcium in gluten-free baked goods made from commercial premixes

The number of people that must consume a gluten-free diet is constantly in-creasing. It is, however, important that this diet is not deficient in nutrients, in particular some key minerals. The present work focuses on the contents of iron, zinc and calcium in gluten-free sponge cakes, breads, cookies and pizzas made from commercial premixes. Other properties analysed were the dialyzability, the potential contribution and the percentage of coverage of the daily requirement of the mentioned minerals in each of the products. These properties were contrasted and compared with those of equivalent products elabo-rated with wheat flour enriched with ferrous sulfate. An in vitro methodology of mineral bioavailability was utilised, with subsequent quantification by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Even though a wide variation in the three minerals' content in each of the four products was observed, the percentage of dialysability was low. In terms of meeting the daily requirements, only the iron in the pizzas covered a considerable propor-tion. In all the other cases only very small parts of the daily requirements were covered. The results obtained for iron in the equivalent products reflect the impact of the enrichment of wheat flour with ferrous sulfate. It would be convenient to contemplate the use of pseudocereal flours to improve their mineral quality. In addition, it would be advisable to evaluate the implementation of public policies so that the population that should consume gluten-free foods has access to enriched foods, as is the case with wheat flour.