Analysis of Nutrient Content in Milk Powder for Middle-Aged and Elderly People in China

To analyze the distribution of energy and nutrient content and the proportion of nutritional fortification of 87 different brands of milk powder products for middle-aged and elderly people, the amount of nutrients provided by each sample per day was calculated in according to the edible method, and compared with Chinese dietary reference intakes (DRIs) and the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) of the middle-aged and elderly population. The study found that the content range of energy and most nutrients (protein, carbohydrate, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B6,folic acid, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus) in different brands of products were relatively similar, and the ratio of the maximum value to the minimum value of the content in the products was less than 10. While the content range of fat, sodium, calcium, vitamin E and iron fluctuated greatly, the ratios of maximum value to minimum value were 21.78, 37.56, 18.26, 43.14 and 32.56, respectively. In the aspect of nutritional fortification, the proportion of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, calcium, iron and zinc was higher than 75%, while the ratios of folic acid, magnesium and taurine were relatively low, only reached 20.69%, 12.64% and 9.20%, respectively. The proportion of copper and manganese was less than 10%. At present, except for the calcium in a small part of products reached the RNI value, the other nutrient contents could not meet the nutritional needs of the elderly people, it was suggested to establish relevant standards to further standardize and guarantee the nutritional safety of middle-aged and elderly foods. © 2019, Editorial Department of Journal of Food Science and Technology. All right reserved.