Scientific Opinion on the safety of ferrous ammonium phosphate as a source of iron added for nutritional purposes to foods for the general population (including food supplements) and to foods for particular nutritional uses

Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for iron

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for iron. Systematic reviews were conducted to identify evidence regarding high iron intakes and risk of chronic diseases, adverse gastrointestinal effects and adverse effects of iron supplementation in infancy, young childhood and pregnancy. It is established that systemic iron overload leads to organ toxicity, but no UL could be established. The only indicator for which a dose-response could be established was black stools, which reflect the presence of large amounts of unabsorbed iron in the gut. This is a conservative endpoint among the chain of events that may lead to systemic iron overload but is not adverse per se. Based on interventions in which black stools did not occur at supplemental iron intakes of 20-25 mg/day (added to a background intake of 15 mg/day), a safe level of intake for iron of 40 mg/day for adults (including pregnant and lactating women) was established. Using allometric scaling (body weight0.75), this value was scaled down to children and adolescents and safe levels of intakes between 10 mg/day (1-3 years) and 35 mg/day (15-17 years) were derived. For infants 7-11 months of age who have a higher iron requirement than young children, allometric scaling was applied to the supplemental iron intakes (i.e. 25 mg/day) and resulted in a safe level of supplemental iron intake of 5 mg/day. This value was extended to 4-6 month-old infants and refers to iron intakes from fortified foods and food supplements, not from infant and follow-on formulae. The application of the safe level of intake is more limited than a UL because the intake level at which the risk of adverse effects starts to increase is not defined.

Cyclodextrins and their potential applications for delivering vitamins, iron, and iodine for improving micronutrient status

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have been investigated as potential biopolymeric carriers that can form inclusion complexes with numerous bioactive ingredients. The inclusion of micronutrients (e.g. vitamins or minerals) into cyclodextrins can enhance their solubility and provide oxidative or thermal stability. It also enables the formulation of products with extended shelf-life. The designed delivery systems with CDs and their inclusion complexes including electrospun nanofibers, emulsions, liposomes, and hydrogels, show potential in enhancing the solubility and oxidative stability of micronutrients while enabling their controlled and sustained release in applications including food packaging, fortified foods and dietary supplements. Nano or micrometer-sized delivery systems capable of controlling burst release and permeation, or moderating skin hydration have been reported, which can facilitate the formulation of several personal and skin care products for topical or transdermal delivery of micronutrients. This review highlights recent developments in the application of CDs for the delivery of micronutrients, i.e. vitamins, iron, and iodine, which play key roles in the human body, emphasizing their existing and potential applications in the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmeceuticals industries.

Preparation and characterization of an iron-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex: factors influencing the host-guest interaction

Cyclodextrins have received attention recently due to their superior binding with countless hydrophobic molecules. The host-guest interaction between the cyclodextrin cavity and the hydrophobic component not only facilitates the formation of a strong inclusion complex (IC), but also improves its stability against thermal degradation. The functionality of cyclodextrins for the delivery of hydrophilic components is less explored in comparison. This study discusses the application of β-cyclodextrin (βCD) for the delivery of highly bioavailable and hydrophilic iron, ferric sodium EDTA, which exhibits great functionality in the presence of polyphenols and phytates with potential application in food fortification. The formation of IC was dependent on the cyclodextrin amount and alcoholic co-solvent and was influenced by the stirring duration. For ferric sodium EDTA, the highest inclusion rate (IR) of ∼77% was obtained after 72 hours of mixing in 25.4% (v/v) alcohol at a ratio of iron : βCD of 1 : 6. A higher IR (∼96%) was obtained after 6 hours of stirring with less soluble ferrous ammonium phosphate in comparison. The melting temperature (T_m) of the ferrous ammonium phosphate complex increased from ∼172 to ∼294 °C. The high IR and enhanced thermal resistance of the complex make βCDs potential carriers for ferrous ammonium phosphate delivery and fortification of foods processed at high temperatures.