Coverage of micronutrients with the highest risk of deficit in people aged over 65 years served by the Barcelona Food Bank

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food waste, food banks, food insecurity, micronutrients.

Abstract

Background. The Barcelona Food Bank (BFB) donates foods for people over 65 years of age through beneficiary organizations. It was not previously known which micronutrients (calcium, vitamin D, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12), all necessary for disease prevention, are present in these foods.Objectives. To review and quantify the most important micronutrients for older adults (calcium, vitamin D, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12) which are contained in BFB donations; to assess compliance (in %) with the nutrient recommendations set by health organizations; and to provide recommendations for improving the respective donations. Methods. The contributions of the Food Aid Operational Programme of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) and the Market Withdrawal of Fruit and Vegetables Programme (SERMA) were analyzed, and the micronutrients which were chosen (according to the recommendations of the Spanish Agency for Food Security and Nutrition, AESAN) were quantified. The findings obtained were compared with the physiological needs determined by the pertinent health bodies (specifically, the Complutense University of Madrid [UCM] and the DRIs, or dietary reference intakes). Results. For both men and women, low levels of calcium and vitamin D were found in the contributions. Among the foods in question, milk, canned sardines and cooked pulses provide the highest inputs. It was found that the iron supplied covers 99.12% of the DRI. The foods with the highest iron input were pasta, canned sardines, and raw and cooked pulses. Folic acid was found to be deficient in the inputs but the recommended value of vitamin B12 is covered and even exceeds the daily requirement. It was found that milk and canned sardines provide 254.16% of the required daily value of vitamin B12, while pasta, dried pulses, cooked pulses, fruits and vegetables provide the highest input of folic acid. Conclusion. The BFB input clearly covers 24.2% of DRI for vitamin B12 and iron. Calcium, vitamin D and folic acid show percentages far below 24.2%. A good supply of foods providing calcium, vitamin D (in dairy products) and iron (in meat, fish and cooked pulses) should be ensured, and the consumption of fruit and vegetables in the diet should be increased.

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Aguirre Freire, S. G., Rivero i Urgell, M., & Banqué i Molas, M. (2024). Coverage of micronutrients with the highest risk of deficit in people aged over 65 years served by the Barcelona Food Bank. TECA: Tecnologia I Ciència Dels Aliments, 23, 13–25. Retrieved from https://revistes.iec.cat/index.php/TECA/article/view/154292

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