Studies on the Effectiveness of Nafeedta-Fortified Soy Sauce in Controlling Iron Deficiency: A Population-Based Intervention Trial

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the effectiveness of NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce for controlling iron deficiency in a high-risk population. This was an 18-month, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trial in 14,000 residents aged three years or older in Bijie City, Guizhou Province, China, using sodium-iron ethylene diamine tetraacetate (NaFeEDTA)-fortified soy sauce (29.6 mg Fe/100 ml). The study data included measurements of food consumption, hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and serum retinol. The results showed that the diet consisted primarily of cereals, fruits, and vegetables, with very little meat. Food consumption remained unchanged during the study period and was similar in the fortified and control groups. The average daily soy sauce consumption of the group consuming the fortified product was 16.4 ml per person, which provided 4.9 mg of iron from NaFeEDTA. At the end of the trial, all age and sex subgroups receiving NaFeEDTA had significantly higher hemoglobin levels, a lower prevalence of anemia, and higher plasma ferritin levels than the controls. The effects became statistically significant after six months of intervention and were maintained throughout the study period. We conclude that NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce was highly effective in controlling iron deficiency and reducing the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia in men, women, and children. NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce is affordable and was well accepted by the study population.

Iron and zinc deficiencies in China: what is a feasible and cost-effective strategy?

“…Fortification has been successfully applied to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply in industrialised countries for many decades [49][50][51][52] , but has only recently been adopted in developing countries 53,54 . It has the advantage of wide coverage, being easy to implement and cost-effectiveness 55 .…”

Diagnosis and Prevention of Iron Deficiency and Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Infants and Young Children (0–3 Years of Age)

“…In developing countries, iron requirements of older infants and toddlers have been met by iron fortification of various foods, including corn flour, 71 soy sauce, 72 fish sauce, 73 and rice. 74 However, there are many technical and practical barriers to a successful fortification program for toddlers.…”

Sodium pyrophosphate enhances iron bioavailability from bouillon cubes fortified with ferric pyrophosphate

“…Food fortification is regarded as a safe and cost-effective approach to counteract and prevent ID as long as the targeted populations consume significant quantities of industrially manufactured fortified foods (2) . Condiments are promising vehicles for fortification as they are among the very few regularly purchased food items in resource-poor areas (3) , and Fe-fortified condiments have been shown to be efficacious in improving Fe status (4)(5)(6)(7) .Bouillon cubes are a promising vehicle for Fe fortification, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where previous national surveys have reported a high proportion of Burkinabe, Cameroonian, Nigerian, Senegalese and Ivorian women (79-96 %) who consumed bouillon cubes regularly (8)(9)(10) . However, ensuring the bioavailability of Fe and the stability of the cubes in these climates is challenging.…”

“…Food fortification is regarded as a safe and cost-effective approach to counteract and prevent ID as long as the targeted populations consume significant quantities of industrially manufactured fortified foods (2) . Condiments are promising vehicles for fortification as they are among the very few regularly purchased food items in resource-poor areas (3) , and Fe-fortified condiments have been shown to be efficacious in improving Fe status (4)(5)(6)(7) .…”