Micronutrientes faltantes en la Maizena

The Changing Markets Foundation analyzed 84 samples of Unilever's Maizena products in Mexico, finding that the company's claims of regional fortification are not reflected in its products. While Unilever asserts that its cornstarch products in Latin America are fortified, the 'Maizena Natural' product in Mexico contains no micronutrients. Furthermore, laboratory tests of 'Maizena Sabores' (flavored mixes) revealed that levels of iron and zinc were consistently lower than those declared on the packaging, suggesting a gap between the company's global nutrition pledges and its commercial practices.

• Unilever claims that its cornstarch products sold across Latin America are fortified with zinc, vitamin A, and other key micronutrients, but the 'Maizena Natural' product in Mexico is not fortified.
• Laboratory analysis of 'Maizena Sabores' (flavored atole mixes) showed that none of the samples contained the levels of iron indicated on their labels, and the vast majority contained lower-than-declared levels of zinc.
• Specific product flavors showed significant discrepancies; the 'galleta' (cookie) flavor, a recent launch, had results 'very below' declared levels for both iron and zinc, and the 'arroz con leche' (rice pudding) flavor was very low in zinc.
• While minerals were lacking, vitamin levels (B1, B3, and B9) generally aligned more closely with label claims, though some flavors like chocolate showed clearly inferior levels of thiamine (B1).
• The report suggests that the low levels of iron and zinc may result from systematic poor fortification practices rather than degradation during processing or storage, as minerals are typically more stable than vitamins.
• There is a contradiction between Unilever's high ranking in the 2018 Access to Nutrition Index (second place) and its actual product implementation in the Mexican market.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2019). Micronutrientes faltantes en la Maizena. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Unilever_Maizena_FINAL_ESP.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Micronutrientes faltantes en la Maizena. 2019. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Unilever_Maizena_FINAL_ESP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Micronutrientes faltantes en la Maizena |date=September 2019 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Unilever_Maizena_FINAL_ESP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2019micronutrientes, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Micronutrientes faltantes en la Maizena}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Unilever_Maizena_FINAL_ESP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }