The ash content is a measure of the total amount of minerals present within a food, whereas
the mineral content is a measure of the amount of specific inorganic components present within a
food, such as Ca, Na, K and Cl. Thus, ash content refers to the total mineral residue left after
incineration of organic matter. It has no nutritional significance per se, but the value for ash is a
useful check in summing up the proximate composition of food and a measure of its mineral
content. It is expressed as g ash per 100 g sample. Determination of the ash and mineral content
of foods is important for a number of reasons: