Reasons for raising the maximum acceptable daily intake of EDTA and the benefits for iron fortification of foods for children 6–24 months of age

The current maximum acceptable daily intake ( ADI ) of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ( EDTA ) of 1.9 mg day −1 per kilogram bodyweight (mg day −1  kgbw −1 ) limits the daily intake of iron as iron EDTA [ferric sodium EDTA ; sodium iron( III ) EDTA ] to approximately 2–2.5 mg day −1 for children 6–24 months of age. This limit was defined by the Joint FAO / WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives ( JECFA ) in 1973 based on data from an animal‐feed study published in 1963. Other animal studies indicate that this limit can be raised to 4.4 or possibly up to 21.7 mg day −1  kgbw −1 , which is 2.3–11.4 times higher than the current value. For nearly 50 years, iron EDTA has been used in F rance in medicinal syrup for infants 1–6 months of age. The maximum recommended dosage of this drug is 37 times higher than the maximum ADI of EDTA . No adverse health effects have been reported as a result of this medicinal consumption of iron EDTA . Raising the maximum ADI of EDTA to only 4.4 mg day −1  kgbw −1 would enable iron EDTA , an iron fortificant with proven bioavailability in phytate‐rich meals, to be added in adequate amounts to cereal‐based meals for children 6–24 months of age, who are at risk of iron deficiency.