Relevamiento del contenido de calcio en lácteos de uso masivo

Abstract

Calcium is essential in nutrition. Its absorption varies along the life cycle: infancy 55-60%, adolescence 35-40%, adulthood 30%). In adulthood absorption efficiency declines by 0.2% per year, with an additional 2% at menopause. Supplementation with tablets has a cost and needs patients adherence to treatment. The market offers a wide variety of products that have calcium in good proportion, but it is not easy to estimate the amount of calcium ingested. The objective of this project was to survey the content of calcium in dairy products. Calcium content was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The samples were classified by type independently of the brand, since there were no significant differences between brands. The results of the measured values were compared with theoretical values. We found coincidence between the theoretical and the measured values. In few cases the measured values was greater (whole milk, skimmed milk and Fynbo cheese). Only in one case (powdered skim milk fortified with calcium) the measured value was lower than that reported by the manufacturer. The present project has provided valuable information on the calcium content of different dairy products, especially those lacking the calcium content in the package label.