IRON FORTIFICATION OF BREAD AND BAKED GOODS AS AGAINST NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES OF POPULATION

Abstract

In Romania, according to the studies achieved by U.N.I.C.E.F., Health and Family Ministry, Institute of Mother and Child Care “Alfred Rusescu”, about 50% of 2-year aged children and about 30% of those 5-year aged have ferriprive anaemia (determined by iron deficiency). Also, according to the same studies about 25% of pregnant women and about 32% of those who suckle, have iron deficiencies and ferriprive anaemia. In this paper some results of the performed researches on the achievement of bread and some baked goods fortified with iron (rolls with sun flower and sesame seeds and poppy sticks) are presented. As fortification agents, ferrous sulfate, ferrous lactate and ferrous gluconate, and the fortification levels were 20 mg Fe/kg flour, 40 mg Fe/kg flour, 60 mg Fe/kg flour, 80 mg Fe/kg flour were used.  Taking into consideration the phytase role in phytates hydrolysis and increasing of iron bioavailability into human body, in bread and baked goods composition some standardised fungal phytase was added. Also, because the ascorbic acid is a promoter of the iron absorption into human body, it was used in composition of the achieved products. Bread and baked goods fortified with iron were analysed from sensorial, physic-chemical and microbiological point of views. The used fortification agents did not modify the product sensorial characteristics (appearance, colour, taste and smell), in comparison with control sample (bread and baked goods non-fortified with iron). The iron content of the achieved baked goods varied in the range 3.08 – 7.53 mg Fe/100g.