Challenges and strategies to combat global iron deficiency by food fortification

Iron is an important micronutrient required for healthy living. Therefore, populations dependent primarily on plant-based diets with little or no animal flesh may become deficient in iron. It is found that 30% of the world population suffers from iron deficiency anemia. Since iron undergoes oxidation which reduces its absorption, formulation of iron supplements and fortificants for treatment of iron deficiency has been studied extensively. Iron fortified food has been introduced in order to overcome the iron deficiency. Chelation of iron with amino acids, EDTA, fumarate, succinate, and gluconate and encapsulating iron by inclusion complexation and liposome encapsulations have improved the bioavailability of iron in the human body. Among these methods, iron delivery via complexation and - encapsulation are common due to their high efficacy and simplicity.