Project Number: 1907-42520-003-09
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 30, 2005
End Date: Aug 31, 2010

Objective:
To increase our understanding of factors affecting concentrations and bioavailability of minerals (iron, calcium and zinc) and micronutrients in staple foods, food ingredients and food products. We intend to use this knowledge to alleviate mineral and micronutrient deficiencies in human populations worldwide.

Approach:
Apply an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model to determine mineral and micronutrient availability from foods. Animal feeding trails and human studies will likely result from this research effort. For example, we expect to study factors which affect the availability of iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin A in varieties of staple plant foods. We will also investigate bioavailability of these nutrients in food products such as infant formula, breast milk additives, ready-to-eat cereals, infant cereals, etc. It is expected that the in vitro model will identify and refine promising avenues of research and development which can then be tested via animal and human trials.