Use of Heme Iron Concentrate in the Fortification of Weaning Foods

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the technological feasibility of fortifying homogenized weaning food with a porcine heme concentrate. The stability of iron and the organoleptic qualities of two infant weaning foods (a commercial homogenized nonfortified weaning food, NFWF, and the same food fortified with 0.5% of porcine heme concentrate, FWF) were tested throughout 8 months of storage at room temperature and at 37 °C. Heme iron decreased with storage time; however, the proportion of this highly available iron was considerably higher in FWF than in NFWF. The addition of heme iron changed significantly the color of the weaning food measured instrumentally, although high temperatures and length of storage time, did not modify L*a*b*, chroma, and hue angle values in both samples. Organoleptic attributes presented a marked stability even in NFWF stored at room temperature and 37 °C. Keywords: Heme iron; infant weaning foods; iron fortification