Estimation of Daily Intake and Mineral Content of Ice Cream in Bangladesh

Milk and dairy productsare avowed as rich source of dietary minerals. Globally, the popularity of ice cream is increasing due to its nutritional benefits and appealing tastes. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were: (a) to determine the concentration of macro-elements (K, Na, Mg, Ca, and P) in commercially available ice cream in Bangladesh; (b) to point out their contribution to our daily diet formulation. Based on the popularity, and availability, seven leading brands were selected and five samples from each brand were randomly purchased irrespective of their types, flavour, taste, and price. The concentration of macro-minerals were quantified using Inductively Coupled Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. The average concentration (fresh weight) of studied elements had shown a descending order of Ca (1529.41±278.88) > K (1363.69±198.68) > P (1187.76±231.23) > Na (569.79±141.14) > Mg (194.90±68.59) mg.kg-1. Pearson’s correlation matrix among the different metals revealed a significant correlation between K-Na (r = 0.418) and K-Mg (r = 0.408) at p < 0.05 levels. The average estimated daily intake (EDI) of K, Na, Mg, Ca, and P were found 40.97, 17.12, 5.85, 45.94, and 35.68 mg.day-1, respectively, which indicated none of the studied samples exceeded the recommended daily allowance (RDA). The consumption of ice cream (30.04 g.day-1) showed 0.87-7.34% contributions of macro-elements to our daily diet. The present study concludes that ice cream could be considered as a possible source of essential minerals (especially Ca, and P). However, to assure the food quality and to create a balanced diet, regular monitoring of milk and dairy products is strongly recommended.