Although bone is rich in vital proteins and minerals, it is inedible, and its use in nutrition and nutritional supplements is hampered by its strength as well as the risk of disease transmission and lead contamination. Since bones are difficult to grind, high-quality fine bone powder (FBP) without additives is still needed. The study was designed to extract FBP and evaluate its physicochemical properties and value for human nutrition based on its chemical composition, including the mineral and toxic metal content. The applied long-term hydrothermal treatment sterilized and softened hard bones, which were then ground into FBP that inherited bone properties. The physicochemical properties of the extracted FBP were studied, including the structure, composition, thermal behavior, morphology, elemental analysis, and proximate composition analyses. The high-quality FBP has indeed inherited bone properties; it has micro-crystalline particles with sizes less than 100 μm and is characterized by a higher content of biological hydroxyapatite, 65% by weight of FBP with a calcium/phosphorous ratio of 1.57, and it is rich in protein and vital bioelements, such as Na, Mg, Fe, Si, Al, K, Ba, Cr, Cu and Zn. The powder is free from lead and cadmium, which are well below detection limits. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for calcium are 700-800 mg/day, which equates to about 2800-3300 mg of FBP per day. Given the beneficial protein and biomineral composition of FBP, it may be a promising choice in the development and enrichment of nutritional products and calcium supplements.

27.3.2022