Determination of Calcium Content in a Cocktail of Calcium Supplemented Biscuits and Dry Milk

Calcium is a critical mineral crucial to bone formation, muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, and enzyme function. Low calcium consumption is a chronic public health problem, especially in groups with poor access to dairy foods or calcium-enriched diets. Objectives: To determine the calcium content of a fortified food cocktail containing calcium-fortified biscuits and commercial dry milk powder by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) as the analytical tool. Methods: These selected samples (biscuits, dry milk, individual ingredients of biscuits) were homogenized and processed with wet acid digestion, followed by analysis on atomic absorption spectrophotometry as per the standard protocols. Calcium content of fortified biscuits was also estimated from its ingredients for comparison was also AAS. Results: Dry milk had the maximum calcium content, followed by the calcium fortified biscuits. As expected, calcium non-fortified biscuits had the least calcium content. The composite beverage, made from an equal ratio of calcium fortified milk and calcium fortified biscuits, provided a mean calcium content of 545 ± 19 mg/100g, representing over 50% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for children and adults in a single 100 g serving. Calcium contents calculated and measured on AAS were comparable. Conclusion: Food fortification practices are an effective method, and calcium fortified biscuits and dry milk samples analyzed in this study have calcium levels enough to be in targeted clinical trials as calcium-fortified dietary interventions, particularly in nutritionally at-risk groups.