Essential mineral composition of plantain-based snacks consumed in cote d ivoire: nutritional contribution and public health implications

Plantain banana holds a central place in Ivorian diets, where it is consumed daily either as staple dishes or as popular snacks such as alloco, chips, claclo, doclou and roasted plantain. While it is energetic role is well established, few studies have examined the mineral composition of these processed foods, despite the fact that cooking methods and salt addition can significantly alter their nutritional value. This study therefore aimed to characterize the levels of essential minerals in the main plantain-based snacks available on the Ivorian market, to compare their profiles according to processing techniques, and to estimate their potential contribution to daily nutritional requirements. Analyses were carried out on five representative products prepared from local plantain varieties at different maturity stages. Results showed that magnesium was the most abundant mineral, ranging from 45.2 to 60.4 mg/100 g DM, with particularly high levels in roasted plantain and doclou. calcium and zinc concentrations were modest (< 10 mg/100 g DM and < 1 mg/100 g DM, respectively), while iron was detected only in roasted plantain (2.3 mg/100 g DM). Sodium levels differed significantly among products, with doclou exhibiting exceptionally high concentrations (up to 614.8 mg/100 g DM), while roasted plantain maintained low levels. These findings show that plantain snacks are a good source of magnesium, but they also show that their high sodium content is a health risk. To improve the nutritional value of these foods that are important to both culture and the economy, it is important to encourage cooking methods that limit the amount of salt added.