Monday, Jul 23, 2007
Al Ain: Vegetable oils and milk products in the UAE market are improperly fortified with vitamin A and D, thus posing health problems to the consumers, new research reveals.
The panel of four scientists at the UAE University, (UAEU) who conducted the research, examined samples of milk, milk products and vegetable oils and raised doubts about their proper fortification with the required vitamins.
"The milk samples fortified with vitamin D are either under-fortified or over-fortified and 40 per cent of the analysed samples had no vitamin D," said one of the researchers. All the milk and milk product samples, they said, were under-fortified with vitamin A, compared to the recommended level.
The researchers analysed 54 samples of milk and milk products for vitamin D. "Only 21 samples [39 per cent] were found to contain vitamin D in the acceptable range of 0.8 to 1.2 _g/100ml; whereas 17 samples [31 per cent] were found under-fortified and 16 samples [30 per cent] were found over-fortified. The highest level of vitamin D found was 4.45 _g/100ml in a sample of low fat milk," said the study report.
There was no oil sample with vitamin D.
"It is alarming to find that no edible oil sample contained vitamin D, despite addition of vitamin D was declared on the label." These products are "pose[ing] health problems to the consumers", said the panel.
The panel included Dr Louis C. Laleye, chairman of the Department of Food Sciences, Abdul Hamid Kerkadi, Department of Nutrition and Health, Dr Madduri V. Rao, Department of Chemistry, and Wasesa Abdul Qadar, Department of Food Sciences at UAEU.
The researchers said some countries have developed strategies in fortifying certain staple foods with vitamin D, particularly milk, oil and margarine, to prevent the deficiency of vitamin D in their population.
Deficiency in girls
"In the UAE ... there are no food fortification policies in place," said the scientists.
Suggesting control measures, the researchers advised UAE food control authorities to introduce an appropriate monitoring programme to streamline the fortification process. The study also recommended a consumer awareness programme.
The scientists have also observed a high percentage of vitamin D deficiency among Emirati adolescent girls, but they attributed it mainly to poor dietary habits and insufficient intake of milk.
The study results also confirmed findings on the vitamin D deficiency of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the region and the emirates. Some 69.6 per cent of adolescent girls at UAEU have shown vitamin D deficiency.
Also, 68.5 per cent of the student population suffers from vitamin A deficiency.
Students living in hostels showed the worst vitamin A and D deficiencies.
The findings are based on the survey of food habits of a section of adolescent girls, said the scientists and recommended a nationwide survey to gauge the depth of the problem.
The food control and health authorities should conduct studies on food habits, said the scientists.
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
