Estimation of the availability of iron in the school meals of Municipal Centers for Early Childhood Education of a capital city in northeastern Brazil

The final stage of Fe deficiency is Fe deficiency anaemia, with repercussions for human health, especially in children under 5 years of age. Studies conducted in Brazilian public daycare centres show high prevalence of anaemia. The present study aims to evaluate the availability of Fe in the meals of the Municipal Centers of Early Childhood Education in Maceio. The experimental design comprises selection of algorithms, menu evaluation, calculation of the estimates, comparison between the estimates obtained and the recommendations, and analysis of correlation between meal constituents, and of the concordance between the absorbable Fe estimates. Four algorithms were selected and a monthly menu consisting of 22 d. The correlation analysis showed a moderate positive correlation to animal tissue (AT) v. non-heme iron (r = 0 center dot 42; P = 0 center dot 04), and negative to AT v. Ca (r = -0 center dot 54; P = 0 center dot 09) and Ca v. phytates (r = -0 center dot 46, P = 0 center dot 03). Estimates of absorbable Fe ranged from 0 center dot 23 to 0 center dot 44 mg/d. The amount of Fe available, unlike the total amount of Fe offered, does not meet the nutritional recommendations on most school days. The Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the Monsen and Balinfty and Rickard et al. showed greater agreement. The results confirm the need to adopt strategies to increase the availability of Fe in school meals.

Automated summary

This study aims to evaluate the availability of iron in the meals of the Municipal Centers of Early Childhood Education in Maceio. The results show that the amount of iron available in the meals does not meet the nutritional recommendations on most school days, highlighting the need to increase the availability of iron in school meals.