Food Research Institute

Kim, M. H. – Choi, M. K.
Silicon contents of home meal replacements sold in Korea


Mi-Kyeong Choi, Department of Food and Nutrition, Kongju National University, 54 Daehak-ro, Yesan 32439, South Korea. E-mail: mkchoi67@kongju.ac.kr

Original article
Received 2 November 2023; 1st revised 9 April 2024; accepted 25 April 2024.

Summary: To increase the understanding of the relationship between dietary silicon intake and various health outcomes, this study assessed the silicon contents of 201 home meal replacement (HMR) products (124 ready-to-cook and 77 ready-to-eat products). Ready-to-cook foods included rice, porridge, noodles, broth, stew, soup, bread, dumplings, meat dishes, and sauces, while ready-to-eat foods included lunch boxes, kimbap, burgers, and sandwiches. The collected samples were analysed for silicon content using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The average silicon content per serving was significantly higher in ready-to-eat foods at 7.68 mg compared to 3.03 mg in ready-to-cook foods, and the content per 100 g was also significantly different at 4.12 mg and 1.53 mg, respectively. When comparing the silicon content per serving of ready-to-cook foods by type, there were no significant differences. However, silicon content per serving of ready-to-eat foods by type was significant differences, with sandwiches having the lowest average of 1.09 mg and kimbap having the highest average of 9.73 mg. The product types with the lowest price and highest silicon content were noodles and kimbap. The silicon content of HMRs constructed in this study can be widely used to evaluate the intake of silicon.

Keywords: silicon; home meal replacement; ready-to-eat; ready-to-cook; food composition database