Ferrous fumarate iron does not appear to improve iron status in children. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Fortifying brown bread with sodium iron EDTA, ferrous fumarate, or electrolytic iron does not affect iron status in South African schoolchildren.
J Nutr. 2008 Apr;138(4):782-6. PMID: 18356335
Nutritional Intervention Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa. [email protected]
The choice of iron fortificant usually represents a balance between bioavailability of the compound and its tendency to cause organoleptic problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA) and ferrous fumarate at levels compatible with South African brown bread (10 mg/kg flour for NaFeEDTA and 20 mg/kg flour for ferrous fumarate) in a randomized controlled trial; electrolytic iron was evaluated at the level currently used in South Africa (35 mg/kg flour). Schoolchildren (n = 361), aged 6-11 y, from a low socioeconomic community with hemoglobin (Hb)