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unnecessary flavor. Therefore they are limited to food that have relatively fast turnover such as cereal flours, dry foods such as pasta and milk powder and dry milk
based infant formulas. Ferrous sulfate is the most widely used water-soluble iron
fortificant, because of it is the cheapest.
Iron compound which are poorly soluble in water but soluble in dilute acid are
soluble in gastric acid produced in stomach of healthy adult and adolescent and well
absorbed from food. But the concern is the absorption in infant who secrete less acid
and who suffer from a lack of gastric acid due to medical problems. Poorly watersoluble iron compounds, such as ferrous fumarate, have the advantage of causing
fewer sensory problems in foods than the water-soluble compounds. Iron compounds that are insoluble in water and poorly soluble in dilute acid have lower bioavailability than water soluble and generally regarded as a last option. It consists
ferric phosphate compounds, ferric orthophosphate and ferric pyrophosphate. They
have less effect on the sensory properties of foods and because cheaper than the
more soluble compounds.
The addition of vitamin C to infant formula increases iron absorption. The coaddition of ascorbic acid and iron in a 2:1 molar ratio increase iron absorption from
foods 2- to 3-fold in adults and children. Sodium EDTA also increase iron absorption and unlike ascorbic acid, is stable during processing and storage. At low pH,
sodium EDTA acts as a chelating agent and prevents iron from binding to phytic
acid or phenolic compounds, which inhibit iron absorption (Allen et al. 2006).
23.5.1.2 Calcium
Calcium is required in large amount as compared to other micronutrients. Breastfeeding is the preferred feeding method for all infants in the first year of life which
provide an estimate of 130 mg/day. Therefore, Rickets or calcium deficiency should
not occur in breast-fed, full-term infants aged 7–12 months who have an ageappropriate solid food intake that includes calcium-containing foods. Calcium is
well absorbed from human milk. Absorption from infant formulas are highly variable because of the various carbohydrate, protein and mineral sources of these formulas. The efficiency of calcium absorption from any food source is likely to
depend more on the total amount added and its interaction with other food components (Allen et al. 2006).
It is difficult to clinically identify deficiencies of bone minerals in most children
unless they are severe enough to cause recurrent fractures or rickets. Although vitamin D deficiency is the most cause of rickets, in some children very low calcium
intakes may be partially or even primarily responsible for development of disease.
The recommendation daily intake of calcium differs from country to country. United
States, the calcium daily intake for infants aged 7–12 months is 270 mg/day and for
infants aged 12–36 months is 500 mg/day. For infants fed cow’s milk–based formulas, the recommendation would be increased because of the calcium is not as bioavailable as that of human milk. In the United Kingdom, The recommended calcium
A. G. Mtewa et al.
unnecessary flavor. Therefore they are limited to food that have relatively fast turnover such as cereal flours, dry foods such as pasta and milk powder and dry milk
based infant formulas. Ferrous sulfate is the most widely used water-soluble iron
fortificant, because of it is the cheapest.
Iron compound which are poorly soluble in water but soluble in dilute acid are
soluble in gastric acid produced in stomach of healthy adult and adolescent and well
absorbed from food. But the concern is the absorption in infant who secrete less acid
and who suffer from a lack of gastric acid due to medical problems. Poorly watersoluble iron compounds, such as ferrous fumarate, have the advantage of causing
fewer sensory problems in foods than the water-soluble compounds. Iron compounds that are insoluble in water and poorly soluble in dilute acid have lower bioavailability than water soluble and generally regarded as a last option. It consists
ferric phosphate compounds, ferric orthophosphate and ferric pyrophosphate. They
have less effect on the sensory properties of foods and because cheaper than the
more soluble compounds.
The addition of vitamin C to infant formula increases iron absorption. The coaddition of ascorbic acid and iron in a 2:1 molar ratio increase iron absorption from
foods 2- to 3-fold in adults and children. Sodium EDTA also increase iron absorption and unlike ascorbic acid, is stable during processing and storage. At low pH,
sodium EDTA acts as a chelating agent and prevents iron from binding to phytic
acid or phenolic compounds, which inhibit iron absorption (Allen et al. 2006).
23.5.1.2 Calcium
Calcium is required in large amount as compared to other micronutrients. Breastfeeding is the preferred feeding method for all infants in the first year of life which
provide an estimate of 130 mg/day. Therefore, Rickets or calcium deficiency should
not occur in breast-fed, full-term infants aged 7–12 months who have an ageappropriate solid food intake that includes calcium-containing foods. Calcium is
well absorbed from human milk. Absorption from infant formulas are highly variable because of the various carbohydrate, protein and mineral sources of these formulas. The efficiency of calcium absorption from any food source is likely to
depend more on the total amount added and its interaction with other food components (Allen et al. 2006).
It is difficult to clinically identify deficiencies of bone minerals in most children
unless they are severe enough to cause recurrent fractures or rickets. Although vitamin D deficiency is the most cause of rickets, in some children very low calcium
intakes may be partially or even primarily responsible for development of disease.
The recommendation daily intake of calcium differs from country to country. United
States, the calcium daily intake for infants aged 7–12 months is 270 mg/day and for
infants aged 12–36 months is 500 mg/day. For infants fed cow’s milk–based formulas, the recommendation would be increased because of the calcium is not as bioavailable as that of human milk. In the United Kingdom, The recommended calcium
A. G. Mtewa et al.