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. 2023 Jan 25;15(3):616.
doi: 10.3390/nu15030616.

The Potential of Condiments, Seasonings, and Bouillon Cubes to Deliver Essential Micronutrients in Asia: Scenario Analyses of Iodine and Iron Fortification

Affiliations

The Potential of Condiments, Seasonings, and Bouillon Cubes to Deliver Essential Micronutrients in Asia: Scenario Analyses of Iodine and Iron Fortification

Ans Eilander et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiencies are still highly prevalent in Asia. Fortification of cooking aids, such as condiments (fish and soy sauces), seasonings, and bouillon cubes, may be an additional strategy to improve micronutrient intake. The current study evaluated the potential impact of iodine and iron fortification of cooking aids on micronutrient intake in Asian countries. A systematic literature search was performed to collect consumption data from different countries in Asia. Data from 18 studies in nine Asian countries were included. Scenario analyses were performed using different fortification levels based on regulations and literature. Mean intake of cooking aids ranged from 3.2-15.9 g/day for condiments and 0.4-11.7 g/day for seasonings and bouillon cubes. When replacing salt with iodized salt (30 µg of iodine/g of salt), iodine intake would increase by 13-119 µg/day for soy and fish sauces (9-80% of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV)), and 5-83 µg/day for bouillon cubes and seasonings (4-56% of the NRV). Fortification with iron 0.5 mg/g food product for condiments or 1 mg/g food product for bouillon cubes and seasonings improved iron intake for soy and fish sauces by 1.6-8.0 mg/day (11-57% of the NRV), and for bouillon cubes and seasonings by 0.4-5.6 mg/day (3-40% of the NRV). These results indicate that, depending on the consumption pattern, fortification of cooking aids can be a suitable strategy to increase intake of micronutrients.

Keywords: Asia; bouillon cubes; condiments; fortification; intake/consumption; iodine; iron; modeling; seasonings.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors are employees of Unilever, a global FMCG company that produces and markets a variety of foods and beverages.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the identification of literature for inclusion in this systematic search.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average consumption of soy and fish sauce in g/day. The error bars represent the highest and lowest value found for the country.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Average consumption of seasonings and bouillon cubes in g/day. The error bars represent the highest and lowest value found for the country.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Estimated iodine intake after hypothetical fortification of soy and fish sauces with 30 µg of iodine/g of salt. The error bars represent the highest and lowest value found for the country. NRV = Codex nutrient reference value of 150 µg/day.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Estimated iodine intake after hypothetical fortification of seasonings and bouillon cubes with 30 µg of iodine/g of salt. The error bars represent the highest and lowest value found for the country. NRV = Codex nutrient reference value of 150 µg/day.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Estimated iron intake after hypothetical fortification of soy and fish sauces with iron fortification levels of 0.5 mg/g product. The error bars represent the highest and lowest value found for the country. NRV = Codex nutrient reference value of 14 mg/day.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Estimated iron intake after hypothetical fortification of seasonings and bouillon cubes with iron fortification levels of 1 mg/g product. The error bars represent the highest and lowest value found for the country. NRV = Codex nutrient reference value of 14 mg/day.

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