Samar Aborhyem1*, Dina Hamza2, Neveen Agamy1
1Department of Nutrition, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt
2Pharmaceutical Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharos University, Egypt.
*Correspondence Email Address: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Background: Vitamin D is an important micronutrient, globally; there is a recent interest in its estimation in foods. The study aims at determining vitamin D concentration in Egyptian foods. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 342 samples of 57 different food items categorized into five different food groups, samples were purchased from hypermarkets located in Alexandria governorate, Egypt. Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 concentrations were estimated by using HPLC. Results: The highest vitamin D2 concentration was detected in coconut oil (36.69114 IU/100gm), while the lowest in Bunny meat 0.001 IU/100gm, otherwise, the highest vitamin D3 concentration was detected in canned tuna (68.638 IU/100gm) while the lowest in white chicken (4.492 IU/100gm). Oils and fatty foods recorded the highest vitamin D2 with median level 3.653 IU/100gm, while milk and its products has the highest vitamin D3 with median level 37.602 IU/100gm.
Conclusion: Milk and its products were the richest sources of vitamin D3 followed by different species of fish, while meat and poultry represented the lowest sources of vitamin D3. However, oils and fatty foods were the richest sources of vitamin D2. Milk products, poultry and its alternatives represented the lowest sources of vitamin D2.
Keywords: Egypt, Food, Vitamin D.
Citation: Samar Aborhyem, Dina Hamza, Neveen Agamy. Vitamin D Content in Some Food Items Sold in Egyptian Markets. Canadian Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2020; 8 (2): 62-77.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.14206/canad.j.clin.nutr.2020.02.06