Objectives
To compare results generated by ICheck equipment against traditional methods previously used by Uganda National Bureau of Standards for consistency.
Methods
The study examined results generated for iodine in salt, Vitamin A in oil, Vitamin A in flours and Iron in flours using ICheck Iodine, ICheck Chroma, ICheck fluoro and ICheck iron respectively. Results from the tests were compared with their respective traditional methods. All samples were collected from local producers and on the Ugandan market.
Results
ICheck for iodine, WYD and the titration method produce equivalent results, but WYD was found to be more rapid and cost effective than the others. ICheck Chroma is more rapid than HPLC but also more costly and requires a correction factor. For vitamin A in flours, the convenience of ICheck is affected by the coarse nature of flours thus generates inconsistent results. Likewise, the ICheck for iron is likely not well suited to coarse maize flour and registers relatively higher results for wheat flour than with AAS.
Conclusions
Traditional methods for testing Vitamin A in oil and Vitamin A and Iron in flours were found to be more appropriate than Icheck, while WYD iodine checker is recommended for testing iodine in salt. In light of these results, it is recommended that the Government of Uganda reconsiders the decision to switch to ICheck and revert to traditional testing methods pending additional research on ICheck to confirm or refute results of this study.
