Food Supplements Containing Iron—Comparison of Actual Content with Declared Content and Health Consequences

Abstract

The use of food supplements (FSs) is becoming an increasingly common trend observed in society. This is related to frequently observed nutritional deficiencies and the inability to provide sufficient amounts of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, through the diet. The ease of registering FSs sometimes results in low-quality preparations on the market. Therefore, our research aimed to assess the content of one of the most popular trace element components, iron (Fe), in FSs available in Poland. This study covered 109 preparations purchased from stationary pharmacies and online pharmacies. The following criteria were used to characterize FSs in the data analysis: the Fe content declared by the manufacturer, pharmaceutical form, type of Fe salt, manufacturer’s country of origin, contents of other trace elements or minerals, presence of additional ingredients, age of the target group, and addition of vitamins B2, B6, B12, and C. The Fe content was quantified using atomic absorption spectrometry after mineralization using microwaves. It was demonstrated that 69.73% of the preparations contained more Fe than the value declared by the manufacturer (and corrected for permissible deviations), 11.00% contained less Fe than declared, and only 19.27% were within the norm. In summary, the FS market requires the improvement of manufacturing processes and increased control, which should translate into patient safety.