Iron fortification of infant cereals: a proposal for the use of ferrous fumarate or ferrous succinate13 (original) (raw)
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition, 1997
Background: Infant cereals are commonly fortified with insoluble iron compounds with low relative bioavailability, such as ferric pyrophosphate, because of organoleptic changes that occur after addition of water-soluble iron sources. Objective: Our objective was to compare iron bioavailability from ferric pyrophosphate with an alternative iron source that is soluble in dilute acid, ferrous fumarate, and to evaluate the influence of ascorbic acid on iron bioavailability from ferrous fumarate in infants. Design: Iron bioavailability was measured as the incorporation of stable iron isotopes into erythrocytes 14 d after administration of labeled test meals (25 g dry wheat and soy infant cereal, 100 g water, and 2.5 mg Fe as [ 57 Fe]ferric pyrophosphate or [ 57 Fe]ferrous fumarate). Ascorbic acid was added to all test meals (25 mg in study 1 or 25 or 50 mg in study 2). Infants were fed each test meal on 4 consecutive days under standardized conditions. The 2 different test meals within each study were administered 2 wk apart in a crossover design. Results: Geometric mean iron bioavailability was significantly higher from [ 57 Fe]ferrous fumarate than from [ 57 Fe]ferric pyrophosphate [4.1% (range: 1.7-14.7%) compared with 1.3% (range: 0.7-2.7%); n = 8, P = 0.008]. In this study, doubling the ascorbic acid content did not further enhance iron bioavailability; the geometric means (range) were 3.4% (1.9-6.6%) and 4.2% (1.2-18.7%) for the test meals with 25 and 50 mg ascorbic acid added, respectively (n = 9). Conclusion: Iron bioavailability from iron-fortified infant cereals can be improved by using an iron compound with high relative bioavailability and by ensuring adequate ascorbic acid content of the product.
Journal of Nutrition, 2011
Precooked, instant (dry) infant cereals in the US are fortified with electrolytic iron, a source of low reactivity and suspected low bioavailability. Iron from ferrous fumarate is presumed to be more available. In this study, we compared a dry infant rice cereal (Cereal L) fortified with electrolytic iron (54.5 mg iron/100 g cereal) to a similar cereal (Cereal M) fortified with ferrous fumarate (52.2 mg Fe/100 g) for efficacy in maintaining iron status and preventing iron deficiency (ID) in breast-fed infants. Ascorbic acid was included in both cereals. In this prospective, randomized double-blind trial, exclusively breastfed infants were enrolled at 1 mo and iron status was determined periodically. At 4 mo, 3 infants had ID anemia and were excluded. Ninety-five infants were randomized at 4 mo, and 69 (36 Cereal L, 33 Cereal M) completed the intervention at 9 mo. From 4 to 9 mo, they consumed daily one of the study cereals. With each cereal, 2 infants had mild ID, a prevalence of 4.2%, but no infant developed ID anemia. There were no differences in iron status between study groups. Iron intake from the study cereals was (mean 6 SD) 1.21 6 0.31 mg×kg 21 ×d 21 from Cereal L and 1.07 6 0.40 mg×kg 21 ×d 21 from Cereal M. Eleven infants had low birth iron endowment (plasma ferritin , 55 mg/L at 2 mo) and 54% of these infants had ID with or without anemia by 4 mo. We conclude that electrolytic iron and ferrous fumarate were equally efficacious as fortificants of this infant cereal.
Iron Bioaccessibility and Sensory Analysis of Extruded Cereals Fortified with Different Fe Sources
Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2013
To increase iron (Fe) intake in Fe deficiency-risk groups the combination of Fe source and food-vehicle must be chosen in order to minimize inhibitory effects of food matrix. Fe dialyzability and sensory properties were tested in six model systems (MS) made with extruded cereals fortified with different Fe sources such as FeNaEDTA, FeSO 4 and EDTA/FeSO 4 among others and with or without the addition of milk. Proximate composition and phytate content were also evaluated. Results showed that Fe dialyzability from samples fortified with FeNaEDTA was less affected by the presence of inhibitory factors such as phytates and milk. The addition of FeSO 4 to the extrudates showed sensory differences. Furthermore, fortification with EDTA/FeSO 4 or FeNaEDTA showed no sensory differences compared with unfortified or Feº (elemental iron) fortified matrix, with the advantage of increased iron bioaccessibility.
Nutrition Research, 1993
Objectives of this research were to compare iron bioavailabilities from infant rice cereals fortified with either electrolytic iron (El) or ferrous sulfate (FS) and to evaluate the piglet as a model for iron bioavailability studies. Iron bioavailability was assessed by hemoglobin repletion assay. Yorkshire piglets were weaned at 21 days of age and assigned to 2 groups of 8 on the basis of hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, litter, and sex. Iron depletion was achieved by simply withholding the iron injections normally given to newborn pigs. Repletion diets contained 780 g of iron fortified rice cereal per kg diet and were formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of piglets, The diets were identical except for the form of iron used to fortify the cereal (iron concentrations in the EI and FS diets were 118 and 127 mg/kg diet, respectively). The piglets were fed the repletion diets for 10 days. Means of initial/final Hb concentrations were 7.0/6.5 and 7.0/8.8 g/dL for the EI and FS groups, respectively. Mean Hb iron gain (total Hb iron on day 11 minus total Hb iron on day 1) was significantly lower (F < 0.001) in the group fed EI fortified cereal (20.62 versus 58.07 mg). Although the bioavailability of EI from commercial fortified infant cereals is low compared to FS, these products may supply a significant portion of the iron needs for many infants because of their high iron content. The piglet is a promising model for iron bioavailability studies.
Effect of phytic acid on iron bioavailability in fortified infant cereals
Nutrition & Food Science, 2010
Purpose -Iron deficiency is an important nutritional problem that affects approximately 20 percent of world's population and especially infants. The aim of this paper is to determine the iron bioavailability by using in vitro method in commercial infant cereals. Design/methodology/approach -The ferrous iron dialyzability relative to total iron and phytic acid contents of six commercial infant cereals commonly consumed in Turkey were analyzed. Findings -Dialyzable ferrous iron was determined in samples 4, 5, and 6 as 2.51 AE 0.38, 4.12 AE 1.52, and 0.50 AE 0.08 percent, respectively ( p < 0.05). Phytic acid contents of the samples ranged from 118 to 161 mg/100 g. For all the samples calculated phytate:iron molar ratios were equal to or higher than 1 (ranged from 1.0 to 9.89). Originality/value -The phytate:iron molar ratio was not found as the major inhibitory factor on iron bioavailability. Other possible factors such as type of iron fortificant and possible interactions of iron with other ingredients in the formula can affect iron bioavailability. Therefore, at the formulation step amounts of all ingredients and their proportions to each other should be considered to reach optimum iron bioavailability.
Evaluation of iron bioavailability in a mixture of cereals, seeds, and grains ("Human Ration")
Food Science and Technology (Campinas), 2014
Iron bioavailability was evaluated in three mixtures of cereals, seeds, and grains ("Human Ration"): light, regular, and homemade provided to rats. The animals received an iron depletion diet for 21 days, followed by a repletion diet containing 12 mg•kg -1 of iron for 14 days. The hemoglobin regeneration efficiency and the relative biological value did not differ between the light mixture and control group. The iron bioavailability of the light mixture of cereals, seeds, and grains and the control group were 99.99±27.62 and 80.02±36.63, respectively, while the regular and homemade mixtures of cereals, seeds, and grains showed lower iron bioavailability, 50.12±35.53 and 66.66±15.44, respectively; the iron content of the diet with light cereal mixture light was statistically similar to that of the control (ferrous sulfate 99.99±27.62). The high content of tannin (202.81±19.53 mg•100 -1 ) in the diet with the regular cereal mixture may have contributed to its low iron bioavailability. The higher intake of soluble fiber by the animals fed the light mixture (21.15±0.92 g) was moderately correlated (r=0.5712, p=0.0018) with the concentration of propionate in the caecal bulk (65.49±11.08 µmol/g). The short chain fatty acids produced by soluble fiber fermentation, associated with the low-content of tannin may have improved iron solubility and absorption in the light cereal mixture diet. The iron bioavailability in the light mixture of cereals, seeds, and grains was similar to that of ferrous sulfate.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011
Background/Objectives: Ferrous fumarate is recommended for the fortification of complementary foods based on similar iron absorption to ferrous sulfate in adults. Two recent studies in young children have reported that it is only 30% as well absorbed as ferrous sulfate. The objective of this study was to compare iron absorption from ferrous fumarate and ferrous sulfate in infants, young children and mothers. Subjects/Methods: Non-anemic Mexican infants (6-24 months), young children (2-5 years) and adult women were randomly assigned to receive either 4 mg Fe (women) or 2.5 mg Fe (infants and young children) as either [ 57 Fe]-ferrous fumarate or [ 58 Fe]ferrous sulfate added to a sweetened drink based on degermed maize flour and milk powder. Iron absorption was calculated based on incorporation of isotopes into erythrocytes after 14days. Results: Within each population group, no significant differences (P40.05) in iron absorption were found between ferrous fumarate and ferrous sulfate. Mean iron absorption from ferrous fumarate vs ferrous sulfate was 17.5 vs 20.5% in women (relative bioavailability (RBV) ¼ 86), 7.0 vs 7.2% in infants (RBV ¼ 97) and 6.3 vs 5.9% in young children (RBV ¼ 106). Conclusions: Ferrous fumarate is as well absorbed as ferrous sulfate in non-anemic, iron sufficient infants and young children, and can be recommended as a useful fortification compound for complementary foods designed to prevent iron deficiency. Further studies are needed to clarify its usefulness in foods designed to treat iron deficiency.
The Journal of nutrition, 2005
After 1 y of distributing a milk-based fortified weaning food provided by the Mexican social program PROGRESA, positive effects on physical growth, prevalence of anemia, and several vitamin deficiencies were observed. There was no effect on iron status, which we hypothesized was related to the poor bioavailability of the reduced iron used as a fortificant in PROGRESA. The objective of this study was to compare the iron bioavailability from different iron sources added as fortificants to the weaning food. Children (n = 54) aged 2-4 y were randomly assigned to receive 44 g of the weaning food fortified with ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, or reduced iron + Na(2)EDTA. Iron absorption was measured using an established double-tracer isotopic methodology. Iron absorption from ferrous sulfate (7.9 +/- 9.8%) was greater than from either ferrous fumarate (2.43 +/- 2.3%) or reduced iron + Na(2)EDTA (1.4 +/- 1.3%) (P < 0.01). The absorption of log-(58)Fe sulfate given with the iron sourc...
The Journal of Nutrition, 2021
Background Compared with infant cereals based on refined grains, an infant cereal containing whole grains (WGs) and pulses with adequate amounts of ascorbic acid to protect against absorption inhibitors could be a healthier source of well-absorbed iron. However, iron absorption from such cereals is uncertain. Objective We measured iron bioavailability from ferrous fumarate (Fefum) added to commercial infant cereals containing 1) refined wheat flour (reference meal), 2) WG wheat and lentil flour (WG-wheat-lentil), 3) WG wheat and chickpea flour (WG-wheat-chickpeas), and 4) WG oat flour (WG-oat) and from ferrous bisglycinate (FeBG) added to the same oat-based cereal (WG-oat-FeBG). Methods In a prospective, single-blinded randomized crossover study, 6- to 14-mo-old Malawian children (n = 30) consumed 25-g servings of all 5 test meals containing 2.25 mg stable isotope-labeled iron and 13.5 mg ascorbic acid. Fractional iron absorption (FIA) was assessed by erythrocyte incorporation of is...
The Open Nutraceuticals Journal, 2009
The purpose of the present work is to evaluate the iron bioavailability of stabilized iron (II) sulphate in industrialized fortified infant dessert. The prophylactic-preventive test in rats, using ferrous sulphate as the reference standard, was applied as the evaluating methodology. Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats weaned, were randomized into three different groups (group 1: FeSO 4 + IDF; group 2: FeSO 4 stabilized + IDF and group 3: control). The iron bioavailability (BioFe) of each compound was calculated using the formula proposed by Dutra-de-Oliveira et al where BioFe = (HbFef-HbFei) / ToFeIn. Finally the iron bioavailability results of each iron source were also given as relative biological value (RBV) using ferrous sulfate as the reference standard. The results showed that both BioFe and RBV % were not different among the groups assayed (FeSO 4 + D 0.38±0.01 and 100%; FeSO 4 stabilized + D 0.39±0.02 and 102%).