title: Vitamin A, Iron, and Zinc Content of Fortified Maize Meal and Bread at the Household Level in 4 Areas of South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A national mandatory food fortification program, fortifying wheat flour and maize meal with various micronutrients, was introduced in South Africa in 2003 to address micronutrient deficiencies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine vitamin A, iron, and zinc content of raw maize meal and wheat flour bread sampled at household level from 2 urban and 2 rural areas in South Africa and to compare with the regulatory minimum requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maize meal (250 g) and/or supermarket/local shop bread (3 inner slices) were collected from 50 randomly selected households from each study area. Maize meal samples were reduced to 10 composite samples per area. Bread samples were composited similarly; 1 composite sample consisted of 15 intact slices. Overall, 8 composite samples were obtained for both brown and white bread. The Southern African Grain Laboratory analyzed the samples for vitamin A, iron, and zinc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean content of maize meal (100 g) represented ratios of 0.56 to 0.98 of the minimum fortification requirement for vitamin A, 0.76 to 1.08 for iron, and 0.89 to 1.00 for zinc; brown bread (100 g) represented ratios of 0.57, 1.97, and 1.67 of the minimum requirement for vitamin A, iron, and zinc, respectively, and white bread (100 g) represented ratios of 0.89, 2.22, and 2.07 for vitamin A, iron, and zinc, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The variation in vitamin A, iron, and zinc content in maize meal and the higher than required iron and zinc content in wheat bread needs to be investigated in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa paul.van.jaarsveld@mrc.ac.za.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: van Jaarsveld
authors.affiliation: Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.affiliation: Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Martha E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van Stuijvenberg
mesh_terms: D005191:Family Characteristics; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012424:Rural Population; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014908:Triticum; D014505:Urban Population; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003313:Zea mays; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc
keywords: South Africa; maize meal; micronutrient content; staple food fortification; wheat bread