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Monnard C, Rytz A, Tudorica CM, Fiore GL, Do TAL, Bhaskaran K, Macé K, Shahkhalili Y. Nutritional Composition of Infant Cereal Prototypes Can Precisely Predict Their Glycemic Index. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14183702. [PMID: 36145078 PMCID: PMC9504606 DOI: 10.3390/nu14183702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Designing cereal-based products with appropriate metabolic responses is of high interest to the food industry in view of the potential health impact of the product. The objective of this study was to test whether a model that used the nutrient composition of breakfast cereals to predict their glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) could also accurately predict the GI and GL for complete (containing protein, reconstituted in water) infant cereal prototypes. Four independent studies measured the postprandial glucose response of 20 complete infant cereal prototypes (51−76 g/100 g glycemic carbohydrates) in healthy adults. The predictions were strongly correlated with the measured values for both the GI (r = 0.93, p-value < 0.01) and GL (r = 0.98, p-value < 0.01). The in vivo incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for glucose showed a strong linear relationship with the predicted GL (r = 0.99, p < 0.01). In summary, the model previously developed to predict the GI and GL of breakfast cereals was both accurate and precise for infant cereals and could be considered a simple tool to support nutritionally responsible product development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathriona Monnard
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
| | - Andreas Rytz
- Nestlé Research Center, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Tram Anh Line Do
- Nestlé Product Technology Center, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Route de Chavornay 3, 1350 Orbe, Switzerland
| | - Kalpana Bhaskaran
- Centre for Applied Nutrition Services, Glycemic Index Research Unit, School of Applied Science, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore 529757, Singapore
| | | | - Yasaman Shahkhalili
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Harrison OA, Hays NP, Ansong RS, Datoghe D, Vuvor F, Steiner‐Asiedu M. Effect of iron-fortified infant cereal on nutritional status of infants in Ghana. Food Sci Nutr 2022; 10:286-294. [PMID: 35035929 PMCID: PMC8751428 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron deficiency anemia is prevalent among infants in Ghana. This study evaluated the effect of micronutrient-fortified infant cereal on the nutritional status of infants in the La Nkwantanang Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, located in western Africa. In this double-blind, controlled trial, infants aged 6-18 months were cluster-randomized to receive either micronutrient-fortified infant cereal containing 3.75 mg iron as ferrous fumarate/50 g cereal (INT; n = 107) or the same cereal without iron (CTL; n = 101) to complement other foods and breast milk. The intervention phase lasted six months followed by a two-month post-intervention phase (with no further study product feeding). Hemoglobin and anthropometry were assessed every 2 months for the 8-month study period. After the 6-month intervention phase, adjusted mean ± standard error change in hemoglobin from baseline in INT and CTL was 1.97 ± 0.19 and 1.16 ± 0.21 g/dl, respectively (p < .01 for each); the increase in hemoglobin was significantly larger in INT versus CTL (increase 0.68 ± 0.30 g/dl; p = .02). Prevalence of anemia declined to a significantly greater extent in INT (84.1% to 42.8%) compared to CTL (89.1% to 62.8%; p = .006). There was no significant difference between groups in weight gain (p = .41) or height gain (p = .21) over the study period. In infants aged 6-18 months, micronutrient-fortified infant cereal consumed for 6 months promoted greater reductions in iron-deficiency anemia, which is a significant public health concern not only in Ghana but also in many developing countries globally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard S. Ansong
- Department of Nutrition and Food ScienceUniversity of GhanaLegon‐AccraGhana
| | - Dominic Datoghe
- Department of Nutrition and Food ScienceUniversity of GhanaLegon‐AccraGhana
| | - Frederick Vuvor
- Department of Nutrition and Food ScienceUniversity of GhanaLegon‐AccraGhana
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Uyoga MA, Mzembe G, Stoffel NU, Moretti D, Zeder C, Phiri K, Sabatier M, Hays NP, Zimmermann MB, Mwangi MN. Iron Bioavailability from Infant Cereals Containing Whole Grains and Pulses: A Stable Isotope Study in Malawian Children. J Nutr 2021; 152:826-834. [PMID: 34958374 PMCID: PMC8891185 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compared with infant cereals based on refined grains, an infant cereal containing whole grains (WGs) and pulses with adequate amounts of ascorbic acid to protect against absorption inhibitors could be a healthier source of well-absorbed iron. However, iron absorption from such cereals is uncertain. OBJECTIVE We measured iron bioavailability from ferrous fumarate (Fefum) added to commercial infant cereals containing 1) refined wheat flour (reference meal), 2) WG wheat and lentil flour (WG-wheat-lentil), 3) WG wheat and chickpea flour (WG-wheat-chickpeas), and 4) WG oat flour (WG-oat) and from ferrous bisglycinate (FeBG) added to the same oat-based cereal (WG-oat-FeBG). METHODS In a prospective, single-blinded randomized crossover study, 6- to 14-mo-old Malawian children (n = 30) consumed 25-g servings of all 5 test meals containing 2.25 mg stable isotope-labeled iron and 13.5 mg ascorbic acid. Fractional iron absorption (FIA) was assessed by erythrocyte incorporation of isotopes after 14 d. Comparisons were made using linear mixed models. RESULTS Seventy percent of the children were anemic and 67% were iron deficient. Geometric mean FIA percentages (-SD, +SD) from the cereals were as follows: 1) refined wheat, 12.1 (4.8, 30.6); 2) WG-wheat-lentil, 15.8 (6.6, 37.6); 3) WG-wheat-chickpeas, 12.8 (5.5, 29.8); and 4) WG-oat, 9.2 (3.9, 21.5) and 7.4 (2.9, 18.9) from WG-oat-FeBG. Meal predicted FIA (P ≤ 0.001), whereas in pairwise comparisons, only WG-oat-FeBG was significantly different compared with the refined wheat meal (P = 0.02). In addition, FIAs from WG-wheat-lentil and WG-wheat-chickpeas were significantly higher than from WG-oat (P = 0.002 and P = 0.04, respectively) and WG-oat-FeBG (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSION In Malawian children, when given with ascorbic acid at a molar ratio of 2:1, iron bioavailability from Fefum-fortified infant cereals containing WG wheat and pulses is ≈13-15%, whereas that from FeBG- and Fefum-fortified infant cereals based on WG oats is ≈7-9%.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glory Mzembe
- Training and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), Blantyre, Malawi,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Nicole U Stoffel
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diego Moretti
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Zeder
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kamija Phiri
- Training and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), Blantyre, Malawi,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Magalie Sabatier
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vers-Chez-Les-Blanc, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas P Hays
- Nestlé Product Technology Center—Nutrition, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland
| | - Michael B Zimmermann
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin N Mwangi
- Training and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), Blantyre, Malawi,School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
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Plaza-Diaz J, Bernal MJ, Schutte S, Chenoll E, Genovés S, Codoñer FM, Gil A, Sanchez-Siles LM. Effects of Whole-Grain and Sugar Content in Infant Cereals on Gut Microbiota at Weaning: A Randomized Trial. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13051496. [PMID: 33925049 PMCID: PMC8145071 DOI: 10.3390/nu13051496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of complementary foods during infancy marks an important step in the development of the infant gut microbiome. Infant cereals are popular weaning foods but consistent evidence on their effect on the intestinal microbiota, especially when differing in nutritional quality, is lacking. Fecal samples from 4–7-month-old Spanish infants who consumed infant cereals differing in whole grain and sugar content as first weaning foods were analyzed on changes in microbial composition by massively parallel sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene at baseline and after 7 weeks of intervention. Samples were obtained from a previous trial conducted in Spain demonstrating whole-grain cereal acceptability. In total, samples of 18 infants consuming 0% whole grain cereals with 24 g sugar (0-WG) and 25 infants consuming 50% whole grain cereals with 12 g sugar (50-WG) were analyzed. Microbial composition changed significantly over time (p = 0.001), per intervention group (p = 0.029) and per infant (p = 0.001). Abundance of genus Veillonella increased in both groups while Enterococcus decreased. Within the 0-WG group, phylum Actinobacteria decreased along with genus Bifidobacterium. In the 50-WG, we observed an increase in Lachnoclostridium and Bacteroides. In addition, 50-WG decreased Proteobacteria and Escherichia to levels lower than 0-WG. Although weaning itself appeared to be responsible for most changes, the increased presence of anaerobic fermenters together with inhibition of pathogenic Escherichia may indicate a supporting effect of infant cereals with 50% whole grains and a reduced sugar content over infant cereals manufactured with refined hydrolyzed flours on the infant microbiota. In fact, using a novel methodology for the identification of microbial signatures, we found two groups of microbial taxa predictive of infants consuming enriched whole-grain infant cereals with a high predictive value of about 93%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Plaza-Diaz
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology II, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria IBS. GRANADA, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada, 18014 Granada, Spain
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Maria Jose Bernal
- Research and Nutrition Department, Hero Group, 30820 Alcantarilla, Murcia, Spain; (M.J.B.); (S.S.)
- Institute for Research and Nutrition, Hero Group, 5600 Lenzburg, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Schutte
- Research and Nutrition Department, Hero Group, 30820 Alcantarilla, Murcia, Spain; (M.J.B.); (S.S.)
- Institute for Research and Nutrition, Hero Group, 5600 Lenzburg, Switzerland
| | - Empar Chenoll
- Biopolis-ADM, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (E.C.); (S.G.); (F.M.C.)
| | | | | | - Angel Gil
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology II, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria IBS. GRANADA, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada, 18014 Granada, Spain
- Institute of Nutrition & Food Technology “José Mataix”, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- CIBEROBN (CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (L.M.S.-S.)
| | - Luis Manuel Sanchez-Siles
- Research and Nutrition Department, Hero Group, 30820 Alcantarilla, Murcia, Spain; (M.J.B.); (S.S.)
- Institute for Research and Nutrition, Hero Group, 5600 Lenzburg, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (L.M.S.-S.)
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Sanchez-Siles LM, Bernal MJ, Gil D, Bodenstab S, Haro-Vicente JF, Klerks M, Plaza-Diaz J, Gil Á. Are Sugar-Reduced and Whole Grain Infant Cereals Sensorially Accepted at Weaning? A Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Trial. Nutrients 2020; 12:E1883. [PMID: 32599738 DOI: 10.3390/nu12061883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The way infants are fed during the complementary period can have a significant impact on infants’ health and development. Infant cereals play an important role in complementary feeding in many countries. In spite of well documented benefits of a low sugar and high whole grain diet, commercial infant cereals are often refined and contain a high amount of sugars. The aim of the present study was to compare the sensory acceptability, gastrointestinal tolerance and bowel habits of two commercially available infant cereals in Spain with varying sugar and whole grain contents in infants at weaning. Forty-six healthy infants (mean age = 5.2 ± 0.4 months) received one of the two infant cereals containing either 0% whole grain flour and a high sugar content produced by starch hydrolysis (24 g/100 g) (Cereal A) or 50% whole grain flour and a medium-sugar content produced by hydrolysis (12 g/100 g) (Cereal B) in a randomized, triple blind, cross-over controlled trial. Both types of infant cereals were consumed for seven weeks. The cross-over was carried out after seven weeks. Sensory acceptability, anthropometry, gastrointestinal tolerance and adverse events were measured, and results evaluated using a linear regression model. No significant differences were observed between groups in any of the main variables analyzed. Importantly, the long-term health implications of our findings represent a wake-up call for the food industry to reduce or even eliminate simple sugars in infant cereals and for regulatory bodies and professional organizations to recommend whole grain infant cereals.
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Fão N, Nascimento S, de La Cruz AH, Calderon D, Rocha R, Saint'Pierre T, Gioda A, Thiesen FV, Brucker N, Emanuelli T, Garcia SC. Estimation of total arsenic contamination and exposure in Brazilian rice and infant cereals. Drug Chem Toxicol 2019; 44:400-408. [PMID: 30938198 DOI: 10.1080/01480545.2019.1591435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) causes health effects, especially cancer. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) can contain high As concentrations. Using ICP-MS, we quantified the total As (tAs) levels in the main brands of rice (n = 103) and infant cereals (n = 27) consumed by Brazilians. The levels were compared to the maximum limits prescribed by regulatory agencies. We estimated the daily intake (EDI) of As by Brazilians by combining the mean As concentration determined in the white rice samples with per capita daily consumption divided by the average body weight as reported by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics in 2010. The possible health risk for consumers was assessed by calculating the margin of exposure (MOE) as prescribed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Moreover, tAs was determined in 11 pesticides used by Brazilian farmers. The tAs levels in the rice ranged from 0.003 to 1.3 mg kg-1. Approximately 27% of the white rice contained tAs levels above the limit set by Mercosul (0.3 mg kg-1) and 45% were above the limit set by the European Commission (0.2 mg kg-1). In the infant cereals, tAs levels ranged from 0.003 to 0.243 mg kg-1. In the pesticides, tAs levels ranged from 0.005 to 0.315 mg L-1. The EDI showed that, on average, Brazilians consume 4.13 µg As kg-1 BW weekly. In addition, a low MOE was observed, demonstrating that high use of rice presents a risk of high inorganic (iAs) exposure, which represents a public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuryan Fão
- Post-graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratory of Toxicology (LATOX), Department of Clinical Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Nascimento
- Post-graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratory of Toxicology (LATOX), Department of Clinical Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Dionisio Calderon
- Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rafael Rocha
- Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Saint'Pierre
- Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Adriana Gioda
- Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Flavia V Thiesen
- Science School, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Natália Brucker
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Santa Maria, RS, Brazill
| | - Tatiana Emanuelli
- Integrated Centre for Laboratory Analysis Development (NIDAL), Department of Food Technology and Science,Centre of Rural Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Solange Cristina Garcia
- Post-graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratory of Toxicology (LATOX), Department of Clinical Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Herrera M, Bervis N, Carramiñana JJ, Juan T, Herrera A, Ariño A, Lorán S. Occurrence and Exposure Assessment of Aflatoxins and Deoxynivalenol in Cereal-Based Baby Foods for Infants. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E150. [PMID: 30841652 PMCID: PMC6468729 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxins are carcinogenic to humans and deoxynivalenol causes digestive disorders, and both mycotoxins occur frequently in cereal-based foods. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence and levels of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in cereal-based baby foods as well as to calculate the estimated daily intakes (EDI) in different stages of infancy. Sixty samples of infant cereals (wheat-, corn-, rice-, oat-, and mixed grain-based) were collected during a 2-year period and analyzed by validated methods. Aflatoxins were detected in 12 samples (20%), six of which exceeded the EU maximum level for aflatoxin B1 set at 0.10 µg/kg. Deoxynivalenol appeared in 20% of baby food samples, with one sample exceeding the EU maximum level established at 200 µg/kg. There were no significant differences between gluten-free products for babies aged 4⁻6 months and multi-cereal products for infants aged 7⁻12 months, nor between whole-grain-based and refined ingredients. However, baby food products of organic origin showed significantly higher levels of deoxynivalenol than conventional ones (p < 0.05). It is proposed for the health protection of infants and young children, a vulnerable group, to establish the lowest maximum level for the sum of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) in baby food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Herrera
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Facultad de Veterinaria, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Noemi Bervis
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Facultad de Veterinaria, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Juan José Carramiñana
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Facultad de Veterinaria, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Teresa Juan
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Antonio Herrera
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Facultad de Veterinaria, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Agustín Ariño
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Facultad de Veterinaria, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Susana Lorán
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Facultad de Veterinaria, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
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Klerks M, Bernal MJ, Roman S, Bodenstab S, Gil A, Sanchez-Siles LM. Infant Cereals: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Opportunities for Whole Grains. Nutrients 2019; 11:E473. [PMID: 30813426 DOI: 10.3390/nu11020473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant cereals play an important role in the complementary feeding period. The aim of this study was to review existing research about the quantity, type, and degree of infant cereal processing, with a special focus on whole grain infant cereals. Accumulating evidence shows many benefits of whole grain consumption for human health. Likewise, consumers are frequently linking the term whole grains to healthiness and naturality, and sustainable food production becomes a more important aspect when choosing an infant cereal brand. Whole grain cereals should be consumed as early as possible, i.e., during infancy. However, there are several challenges that food manufacturers are facing that need to be addressed. Recommendations are needed for the intake of whole grain cereals for infants and young children, including product-labeling guidelines for whole grain foods targeting these age stages. Another challenge is minimizing the higher contaminant content in whole grains, as well as those formed during processing. Yet, the greatest challenge may be to drive consumers' acceptance, including taste. The complementary feeding period is absolutely key in shaping the infant's food preferences and habits; therefore, it is the appropriate stage in life at which to introduce whole grain cereals for the acceptance of whole grains across the entire lifespan.
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Haro-Vicente JF, Bernal-Cava MJ, Lopez-Fernandez A, Ros-Berruezo G, Bodenstab S, Sanchez-Siles LM. Sensory Acceptability of Infant Cereals with Whole Grain in Infants and Young Children. Nutrients 2017; 9:nu9010065. [PMID: 28098769 PMCID: PMC5295109 DOI: 10.3390/nu9010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In many countries, infant cereals are one of the first foods introduced during the complementary feeding stage. These cereals are usually made with refined cereal flours, even though several health benefits have been linked to the intake of whole grain cereals. Prior evidence suggests that food preferences are developed at early stages of life, and may persist in later childhood and adulthood. Our aim was to test whether an infant cereal with 30% of whole grain was similarly accepted both by parents and infants in comparison to a similar cereal made from refined flour. A total of 81 infants between 4 and 24 months old were included in the study. Parent-infant pairs participated in an 8-day experimental study. Acceptance was rated on hedonic scales (4-points for infants and 7-points for parents). Other attributes like color, smell, and taste were evaluated by the parents. Acceptability for infant cereals with whole grain and refined cereals was very similar both for infants (2.30 ± 0.12 and 2.32 ± 0.11, p = 0.606) and parents (6.1 ± 0.8 and 6.0 ± 0.9, p = 0.494). Therefore, our findings show that there is an opportunity to introduce whole grain cereals to infants, including those who are already used to consuming refined infant cereals, thereby accelerating the exposure of whole grain in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amparo Lopez-Fernandez
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Espinardo, Murcia 30071, Spain.
| | - Gaspar Ros-Berruezo
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Espinardo, Murcia 30071, Spain.
| | - Stefan Bodenstab
- Department of Research and Development, Hero Group, Lenzburg 5600, Switzerland.
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