Zinc dosage

Zinc is an essential trace element involved in numerous biological processes, including growth, immunity, reproduction, and wound healing. Indispensable for human and animal health, it is also used in cosmetic formulations, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. Zinc analysis allows for the precise determination of its concentration in foods, water, plant extracts, and finished formulations.

The importance of zinc and its dosage

Zinc is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body and contributes to cellular protection against oxidative stress. Its dosage is essential for:

• Check the nutritional content of food and dietary supplements;
• Ensure regulatory compliance with reference values ​​(Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011);
• Monitor for deficiencies or excesses in products intended for animal nutrition;
• Control the mineral composition of cosmetics, aqueous solutions or pharmaceutical formulations.

Zinc is also a quality indicator in environmental analyses, particularly for monitoring heavy metals in water and soil.

Objectives and usefulness of zinc testing

This analysis addresses multiple issues:

• Nutritional labelling of fortified food products and supplements;
• Quality control in formulations and raw materials;
• Evaluation of bioavailability in plant or animal matrices;
• Compliance verification for cosmetic and pharmaceutical products;
• Environmental monitoring of wastewater and industrial effluents.

Commonly analyzed matrices include:

• solid and liquid foods, beverages, flours and powders;
• plant extracts and nutraceutical products;
• animal feed and mineral additives;
• drinking water, thermal water and wastewater;
• cosmetics (creams, gels, lotions, clays).

Analytical methods used

Zinc levels are measured using high-precision instrumental techniques:

• ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) : a fast method for the simultaneous quantification of several metals (zinc, iron, copper, manganese).
• ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) : an ultra-sensitive method for detecting trace amounts of zinc, particularly useful for complex matrices.
• AAS (atomic absorption spectroscopy) : reference technique for the precise measurement of zinc in food, nutraceutical and cosmetic products.

These methods can be combined with other mineral analyses, such as iron , magnesium or phosphorus , to obtain a complete nutritional profile .

Industrial applications of zinc dosing

Zinc dosage is essential in several sectors:

• Agri-food : monitoring of natural or added levels, verification of nutritional claims (“source of zinc”, “rich in zinc”).
• Nutraceuticals : quality control of capsules, powders, plant extracts and mineral supplements.
• Animal nutrition : adjusting formulations to avoid deficiencies or overdoses.
• Cosmetics : verification of concentrations in products containing zinc oxide or other zinc salts.
• Environment : detection of zinc in water, soil and sludge for monitoring of metal contamination.

Analysis performed at YesWeLab

Zinc analyses are entrusted to ISO 17025 accredited partner laboratories specializing in mineral chemistry and spectrometry. Each sample is prepared and analyzed according to rigorous protocols guaranteeing the reliability and traceability of the results.

The analysis report includes:

• the measured zinc content (mg/kg or mg/L),
• the method used (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, AAS),
• the limits of detection and uncertainty,

Since 2020, YesWeLab has been supporting players in the agri-food, nutraceutical, cosmetic and environmental industries in their mineral analyses, by centralizing their analytical needs via a simple and efficient digital platform .