Mineral and trace element concentrations of dairy products from goats’ milk produced in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

The concentrations of the minerals, Na, K, Ca and Mg, and the trace elements, Fe, Cu, Zn and Se, were determined in 400 samples of goats’ dairy products (100 raw milk, 100 whey, 100 fresh and 100 semi-hard cheeses) produced in the island of Tenerife. All the minerals and trace elements analysed presented significant differences in the concentration between the dairy products analysed. The season of production had a greater influence on the mineral and trace element concentration than the region of production and the amount of fibre in the goats’ diet. An almost complete differentiation of the samples according to the type of dairy product was observed applying a stepwise discriminant analysis.