Bioaccessibility of minerals in combinations of biofortified foods with Fe, Zn and vitamin A.

Initiatives to improve the nutritional quality of staple foods, such as beans and cassava by bio fortification should be encouraged as an alternative to overcome the deficiencies of iron and vitamin A. The evaluation of the bio accessibility of the minerals in these foods is also important, since the composition of nutrients does not necessarily correspond to the amount absorbed and metabolized in the body. Thus, the present work aims to evaluate the bio accessibility of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in the presence of β-carotene in combinations of bio fortified food sources of Fe and Zn (cowpea cooked with and without maceration: CM/CW, respectively) and β-carotene (cooked cassava and cassava flour: CC/CF, respectively).