Page 17 - FMT Dec Web

The table gives information about the iron content of
foods not their bioavailability

Rich sources of iron: Tofu, seafood, beans , organ meat.

Medium sources of iron: whole grains

Poor sources of iron: all vegetables, spinach, peas,
potatoes, fruits, milk and milk products, fats and oils.

There are several ways to enrich diet with iron. One
such method is food fortification.

Food fortification: It is the addition of one or more
essential nutrient to a food, whether or not it is
normally present in the food, for the purpose of
preventing or correcting a demonstrated deficiency in
the population. Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India in October, 2016 gave fortification guidelines
for staples such as rice, wheat flour (folic acid, iron,
vitamin B12), milk, edible oil (vitamins A and D) and
salt (iodine and iron). Food fortification resource center
housed in FSSAI have taken a step for preventing iron
deficiency anaemia. In India, Tata Salt Plus, priced
at an economical rate, is an iodine plus iron fortified
salt, developed by the National Institute of Nutrition,
Hyderabad through double fortification technology.

There are some barriers which determine the
effectiveness of fortification such as bioavailability
of iron, selection of vehicle (food/matrix), the balance
between inhibitors and enhancers and total iron
intake of an individual. Iron compounds such as
Ferrous Sulfate and Fumarate are used for fortification
of refined wheat flour with low levels of iron inhibitors.
Likewise, elemental iron is also compatible with most
food matrixes but is very poorly absorbed and, thus,
is not useful even at high levels of fortification. The
fortification of staple foods and condiments could
be successfully implemented with good attention to
the selection of fortificants that are bioavailable and
with due consideration to balance inhibitors and
enhancers.

* Author is Professor (Extension Home Science KVK), Department
of Foods & Nutrition, College of Home Science, G. B. Pant
University of Agriculture & Technology Pant Nagar
** Ph. D. Research Scholar Department of Foods & Nutrition,
College of Home Science, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture &
Technology Pant Nagar