Nanotechnology and Food Fortification

We have developed a “Nutrition Delivery System (NDS)” using micronization and emulsion technology to deliver minerals, vitamins, proteins and other nutrients in a certain place under a certain condition.  Using NDS, it has become possible to fortify foods with nutrients having merits of stability, taste, safety and bioavailability.

For example, many iron compounds that exhibit the best bioavailability adversely affect food quality by accelerating lipid oxidation or by producing an unfavorable color or flavor.  Compatible and nonreactive iron compounds are needed for fortification of foods because it has less of an “iron taste” compared to soluble iron.  However, due to its insolubility, precipitation of the iron prevents fortification in large amounts.

We prepared a nano-sized preparation of ferric pyrophosphate (SunActive Fe®) which disperses insoluble iron in liquid formulations and produces no precipitation.  SunActive Fe® masks disagreeable flavor of iron without affecting the flavor of the final product and is stable under the condition of heating and high salt concentration.

Five groups of 10 weeks old SD male rats were orally administrated with various iron compounds (2 mg/kg as iron per body weight), i.e. SunActive Fe®, ferric pyrophosphate, ferrous sulfate, and sodium ferrous citrate.  Hemoglobin Regeneration Efficiency and Relative Biological Values were the highest with diets containing SunActive Fe® as compared to other iron compounds.  There was no statistically significant difference between the geometric mean iron absorption from ferrous sulfate and SunActive Fe® fortified infant cereal (4.1 and 3.4%, respectively, P= 0.24) and yogurt drink (4.2 and 3.9%, P=0.72) in human bioavailability studies.  Recently, successful trials of rice fortified with “SunActive Fe®” have been completed by FNRI, Philippines.  Many iron-fortified products like milk, yogurt, and beverages including sports drinks have been launched in the Japanese market and abroad.  Similar formulations have been prepared with Ca, Mg and Zn salts, vitamins including COQ10 and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Contact information:  1-3-1 Takaramachi, Yokkaichi, Mie 510-0844, Japan.  Tel: +81-593-47-5419.  Fax: +81-593-47-5438.  E-mail: Juneja@taiyokagaku.co.jp.