Human milk is the child's primary source of nutrients during its first months of life. Mineral element levels can vary according to several factors such as genetic, the mother nutritional status, lactation period and ethnicity. The objective of the present study was the validation of a dry-ashed digestion method and ICP OES technique which were used for quantification of mineral elements (Ca, P, Na, k, Mg, Zn, Fe and Mn) in 151 samples of human milk collected from mothers in the city of Marília, SP. Values (mg L-1) obtained ranged from Ca=145 to 478; P=87 to 293; Fe=0.03 to 1.13; k=271 to 1159; Mg=14.8 to 60.0; Na=54 to 933 e Zn=0.38 to 5.82. Mn was below the limit of quantification (0.02 mg L-1) for all analyzed samples. Method precision and accuracy (%) values were respectively: Ca=1 and 96; P=1 and 98; Fe=4 and 83; k=1 and 99; Mg=1 and 97; Na=1 and 98; Zn=8 and 96; Mn=8 and 82. Results indicate that precision and accuracy were satisfactory for all elements analyzed on the present study.
human milk; mineral composition; emission spectrometry
