A bread wheat zinc biofortification project - nutritional and technological flour evaluation

Zn deficiency in human dietary is very widespread throughout the world, affecting nearly one billion people. Cereals might serve as a main staple food for a large proportion of world population, but have the shortcoming of being low in Zn and other essential nutrients. Through Zn biofortification of bread wheat this problem can be reduced, yet the industrial flour production and consumption requires a nutritional and technological evaluation. This study aims at to determine, in wheat naturally biofortified flour, the related technological properties and the antagonistic and synergistic accumulation of micro and macronutrients triggered by higher Zn levels. In view of the industrial production of the Zn biofortified wheat flour, reproducibility tests will also be conducted, following calibration standards of quality. In this context, the patterns of aminoacids, fatty acids and carbohydrates, as well as the technological characteristics for baking will be measured. Stability studies will be further conducted on wheat flour by measuring tolerances and abnormalities (according to the Portuguese Law - Ordenance 254/2003 Nº 9 and 18, respectively), testing and quantifying amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids and changings.