Zinc gluconate is a commonly used food nutrient fortifier. As a nutritional supplement in the food industry, it mainly has the following functions and applications:

I. Supplementation of Zinc Element

Zinc is one of the essential trace elements for the human body, playing important roles in human growth and development, the immune system, the nervous system, and the endocrine system. Zinc gluconate can provide the human body with easily absorbable zinc elements, preventing and improving zinc deficiency conditions, such as delayed growth and development, decreased immune function, abnormal taste and smell, reduced cognitive ability, and other problems.

II. Applications in Various Foods

Dairy Products: Such as milk and milk powder. Adding zinc gluconate can increase the nutritional value of the products, meeting consumers' demands for nutritionally fortified dairy products. It is especially suitable for groups with high zinc requirements, such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Infant and Toddler Foods: For example, infant rice noodles and toddler formula foods. Zinc gluconate is one of the important nutritional fortifiers, which is helpful for the normal growth, development, and intellectual development of infants and toddlers.

Cereals and Their Products: For instance, bread, biscuits, noodles, etc. Adding zinc gluconate can enhance the nutritional quality of these foods, enabling consumers to obtain additional zinc nutrition during their daily staple food intake.

Beverages and Milk Beverages: Such as sports drinks, fruit juice beverages, and milk-containing beverages. Adding zinc gluconate can supplement the zinc elements that the human body may lack after exercise or in the daily diet, without affecting the taste and stability of the beverages at the same time.

Salt: Adding zinc gluconate to salt to make zinc-fortified salt is a simple and effective way to supplement zinc. It can provide zinc elements for the human body through the daily diet, especially suitable for the general population to supplement zinc.

When adding zinc gluconate to foods, it is necessary to strictly follow relevant laws, regulations, and standards and add it according to the specified usage amounts. In China, the specified usage amounts of zinc gluconate are as follows: 230 - 470mg/kg in dairy products, 195 - 545mg/kg in infant and toddler foods, 160 - 320mg/kg in cereals and their products, 40 - 80mg/kg in beverages and milk beverages, and 880 - 1000mg/kg in salt.