title: Mineral Analysis of Pine Nuts (Pinusspp.) Grown in New Zealand.
abstract: Mineral analysis of sevenPinusspecies grown in different regions of New Zealand; Armand pine (Pinus armandiiFranch), Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembraL.), Mexican pinyon (Pinus cembroidesZucc. var. bicolor Little), Coulter pine (Pinus coulteriD. Don), Johann's pine (Pinus johannisM.F. Robert), Italian stone pine (Pinus pineaL.) and Torrey pine (Pinus torreyanaParry ex Carrière), was carried out using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) analysis. Fourteen different minerals (Al, B, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S and Zn) were identified in all seven varieties, except that no Al or Na was found inPinus coulteriD. Don. New Zealand grown pine nuts are a good source of Cu, Mg, Mn, P and Zn, meeting or exceeding the recommended RDI for these minerals (based on an intake of 50 g nuts/day) while they supplied between 39%-89% of the New Zealand RDI for Fe. Compared to other commonly eaten tree-nuts New Zealand grown pine nuts are an excellent source of essential minerals.
authors.affiliation: Food Group, Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, Canterbury, New Zealand. leo.vanhanen@lincoln.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Leo P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Vanhanen
authors.affiliation: Food Group, Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, Canterbury, New Zealand. savage@lincoln.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Geoffrey P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Savage
keywords: Pinus spp.; diet; mineral content; pine nuts