Iron absorption from veal muscle was tested in 107 subjects. The geometrical mean absorption of 2 to 4 mg of veal muscle iron in both normal and iron-deficient subjects was 21.5%. Meat iron is absorbed as well as ferrous iron salt in subjects with normal or a small reduction of iron stores, and slightly diminished in subjects with marked iron depletion. Veal muscle iron absorption is not affected by ascorbic acid, but there is a significant reduction in the absorption of veal iron when mixed with desferrioxamine. The absorption of veal muscle iron is slightly reduced when it is administered with vegetable foods (corn, black beans) in a meal. Contrariwise, veal muscle approximately doubles the absorption of vegetable iron. Hemoglobin iron absorption is enhanced approximately twice when it is administered with meat in a meal. It is suggested that protein degradation products during digestion are responsible for the enhancement of the heme iron from both hemoglobin and myoglobin. Meat is apparently the best food in terms of nutritive iron value, not only for its high iron absorbability but also because it promotes the increase of iron absorption from vegetable food and other animal foods.