Effects on Flavor of Fortifying Milk with Iron and Absorption of the lron from Intestinal Tract of Rats

Abstract

Ferric pyrophosphate, ferric phosphate, ferrous sulfate, ferric ammonium citrate, ferrous gluconate, and ferrous lactate at 5.2 to 12.6 parts per million elemental iron were evaluated for their influence upon the flavor of whole milk and skimmilk. Ferric pyrophosphate and ferric phosphate caused only minor off flavors. Whole milk fortified with either of these two compounds was fed as the sole ration to weanling rats for 9 weeks. Milk plus iron from either source was equally effective in maintaining tooth color, hematocrit, and body weight, but was not as effective as a standard dry ration plus water. Milks containing 5.2 or 10.4 parts per million iron added as ferric pyrophosphate were equally effective in maintaining body weight for both male and female rats. Male rats 5 to 9 weeks of age consuming milk with 10.4 parts per million added iron had higher (P<.05) hematocrit values than rats on milk containing 5.2 parts per million added iron. After 9 weeks of age the hematocrit values were not different (P>.05). The ratio of weights and hematocrit values of males to females indicated that females withstood stress of insufficient iron intake better than males.