Mineral composition of skimmed milk fruit-added yoghurts - nutritional assessment

Skimmed milk fruit-added yoghurts from the 3 main producers in Spain were s tudied in order to determine their content in inorganic elements (copper, i ron, zinc, manganese, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium). For the sa mple analysis a dry method was used with a treatment temperature of 460 deg rees C- overnight and ash recovery with nitric acid 0.1 N and the determina tions were made by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations found were: copper, 0.23+/-0.057; iron, 1.37+/-0.39; zinc, 3.4+/-0.23; man ganese, 0.5582+/-0.558; calcium, 1079+/-64; magnesium, 107+/-8; sodium, 447 +/-53 and potassium, 1325+/-179 mg/kg. Statistically significant difference s were found between the varieties studied for all the elements analysed ex cept for copper and calcium (p>0.05). The yoghurt studied can be considered as being an excellent source of calcium, sodium and potassium; fairly good for magnesium and zinc, and sufficient for iron, copper and manganese.