The Importance of Iron Fortification in Breakfast Cereals for WIC-Eligible Infants

Breakfast cereal is an essential part of many children's daily diets, particularly those eligible for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. In the United States, most dry infant cereals are fortified with metallic iron powders to ensure adequate iron intake for proper growth and development. However, the bioavailability of these powders is closely linked to particle size and solubility.

Electrolytic iron, a specific type of metallic iron powder commonly used in dry infant cereals, has been shown to be effective in preventing iron deficiency anemia (Björn-Rasmussen et al., 1977). However, the packaging of these cereals poses a challenge in terms of maintaining their bioavailability. Since cardboard boxes are permeable and allow for air exchange between the contents and the environment, it is not feasible to fortify dry infant cereals with ferrous sulfate or other water-soluble iron salts (Coccorilli et al., 1976; Hurrell, 1984).

In contrast, foods that can be packaged to limit prolonged contact with oxygen, such as infant formulas, can be fortified with these forms of iron. This is because water-soluble forms of iron react with various food components in the presence of oxygen, leading to oxidative rancidity (Hurrell, 1984).

Many iron preparations commonly used for food fortification are poorly soluble in water and dilute acid, including elemental iron powders of intermediate particle size. Examples of these include ferric pyrophosphate, ferric orthophosphate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous succinate, and ferric saccharate (Hurrell, 1992). In contrast, iron salts that are freely soluble in water and dilute acid, such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous ascorbate, ferrous gluconate, and ferric ammonium citrate, have high bioavailability.

In conclusion, the selection of iron fortification compounds for breakfast cereals is critical to ensure adequate iron intake for WIC-eligible infants. The choice of compound should take into account factors such as particle size, solubility, and packaging considerations. By choosing wisely, we can help ensure that these vulnerable populations receive the essential nutrients they need to thrive.

Breakfast cereal wic