Chemical State and Nutritional Availability of Iron in a Prepared Infant Formula

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Abstract
The distribution and chemical state of ferrous iron added to a prepared infant formula was studied using Fe59 as a tracer. The iron was found to be almost entirely associated with the milk proteins. Before protein hydrolysis, only 3% of the iron was dialyzable against distilled water or a dilute citrate solution. After hydrolysis of the milk proteins in vitro 20% of the iron was dialyzable against water and 79% against citrate solution. Digestion in vivo increased the percentage of dialyzable iron still further. The data indicate that most of the iron added to milk products exists as a soluble protein complex and that the iron is available nutritionally after the protein portion of the complex is digested.
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