The in vitro bioaccessibility of calcium, iron and zinc of breads added with different bread
spreads was determined. The mineral contents were assessed by flame atomic absorption
spectrophotometer and expressed in fresh weight (mg/100 g). For the mineral bioaccessibility
determination, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was applied. Among the bread samples, calcium
content of wholemeal bread with chocolate hazelnut spread ranked the highest (159.96±0.869
mg/100 g). For iron, white bread with chocolate hazelnut spread (6.92±0.411 mg/100 g) showed
highest iron content while for zinc, white bread with peanut butter was the highest (1.82±0.015
mg/100 g). For calcium bioaccessibility, white bread with orange marmalade ranked the
highest (39.33±4.865%) while wholemeal bread with peanut butter (14.70±0.265%) showed
the lowest. The application of orange marmalade spread onto wholemeal bread increased the
iron bioaccessibility significantly (9.73±1.387%). The acidic properties attributed by organic
acids found in orange marmalade may favour both calcium and iron absorption. The zinc
bioaccessibility of white bread alone remained the highest (20.63±3.536%) while wholemeal
bread added with peanut butter (5.90±1.137%) showed the lowest. Overall, the addition of
bread spreads particularly peanut butter and chocolate hazelnut spread had increased mineral
contents of the bread samples. However, the presence of mineral enhancers (organic acids) and
inhibitors (phytate and polyphenols) played some significant role in influencing the mineral
bioaccessibility.