Sodium Iron EDTA [NaFe(III)EDTA] as a Food Fortificant Does Not Influence Absorption and Urinary Excretion of Manganese in Healthy Adults

Manuscript received 27 August 1997. Initial reviews completed 8 October 1997. Revision accepted 16 February 1988.

Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zürich, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland and ^* Department of Clinical Nutrition, Gothenburg University, Annedalsklinikerna, S-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden

NaFe(III)EDTA is a promising iron (Fe) compound for food fortification programs because of its high Fe bioavailability from meals containing dietary inhibitors of Fe absorption such as phytic acid. However, this Fe compound is not currently used in any large-scale fortification program because of concern over its possible negative influence on the metabolism of other essential minerals or its possible influence on the absorption of potentially toxic elements, such as manganese (Mn). In this study, Mn absorption and urinary excretion were studied in adults after intake of an Fe-fortified weaning cereal labeled with ⁵⁴Mn. In a crossover design, the fortification of the weaning cereal with Fe as NaFeEDTA was compared with ferrous sulfate. Manganese absorption was measured by extrapolation from whole-body retention data 10-30 d after intake, and urinary excretion of ⁵⁴Mn was measured over 7 d. No significant differences in ⁵⁴Mn absorption or urinary excretion were found; 1.1 ± 0.15 and 0.91 ± 0.35% of the ingested dose was absorbed from the cereal fortified with NaFe(III)EDTA and FeSO₄, respectively. Urinary excretion of ⁵⁴Mn was very low; the total radioactivity in urine represented 1.1 ± 0.55% of the absorbed dose with NaFe(III)EDTA and 0.72 ± 0.53% of the absorbed dose with FeSO₄. Until now, Fe-fortification programs have met with only limited success. The introduction of NaFeEDTA as a food fortificant could be a useful tool to provide bioavailable Fe to vulnerable groups in the population and thus aid in combating Fe deficiency.

The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 128 No. 7 July 1998, pp. 1139-1143
Copyright ©1998 by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences

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