Essential minerals in milk and their daily intake through milk consumption

Minerals occur in all foodstuffs as well as in milk and dairy products. The mineral content in milk is influenced by many factors ranging from environmental conditions during pasture, feeding, breeding, stage of lactation and climate to post-milking handling, transportation and processing. The aim of the study was to assess whether the intakes comply with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), Adequate Intakes (AIs) or Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for essential elements. Milk samples from different producers and with different fat content were purchased from Zagreb’s market four times in year 2007 and analysed. Concentrations of ten minerals (Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, K and Na) were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean values of mineral contents were in range with the literature data. The daily intakes of these minerals by school children selected in age-gender groups (school children 8-9 years old and adolescents 15-18 years old) through milk consumption were also estimated. The average daily intake of essential minerals ranged from a minimum of 1.36 % of manganese up to 35.27 for phosphorus, irrespective of age and gender of children