Fortification of Salt with Iron and Iodine to Control Anaemia and Goitre: Development of a New Formula with Good Stability and Bioavailability of Iron and Iodine

Abstract

Anaemia and goitre are two major nutrition-related disorders. The distribution of iodized salt to control goitre is already widespread, and a method of fortifying salt with iron has been developed to control anaemia. Salt fortified with both iron and iodine would be useful in areas where anaemia and goitre coexist and for anaemia control in countries where the iodization of salt is mandated by law. Studies were carried out to develop appropriate technology to fortify salt with bath iron and iodine. Earlier trials indicated that iodine added to iron-fortified salt was highly unstable. Hence, a new formula was developed using sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) as a stabilizer. At a 1% level it stabilizes bath iron (1 mg/g) and iodine (40 μg/g) quite well. The bioavailability of iron from doubly fortified salt given with a rice-based meal was tested in adult men by the radioisotopic extrinsic tagging technique. The availability of iodine from the doubly fortified salt was compared with that from iodized salt by measuring urinary iodine in adult men after they ingested the salts with a rice meal. The bioavailability of both iron and iodine in the doubly fortified salt was quite satisfactory.