In this article we want to go deeper into Iron in Juices and Milks.
In an article in Lácteos Latam we talked about iron in dairy products and received very good comments about companies that already use LIPOFER™ and highlighted the excellent results.
So, we bring you the following video with Isabel Gómez from Lubrizol where she provides us with very valuable information.
A formulator looking for nutritional benefits, what can I offer iron? What would those benefits be? Not in supplements, but perhaps in foods. How could we help in creating the formulations?
Iron is one of the main markets in all things infant milk and milk for pregnant women. Iron is complicated, especially in these formulations. Normally, in the case of milk, sometimes they contain chocolate, for example, to give it a bit of flavour for children or for women, and it usually interacts with iron. So, from the start, there is already a stability problem when you are looking to formulate with iron and a chocolate milk.
In addition, you have to consider that these products usually have a heat treatment, such as UHT or pasteurization. If you put a source of iron that does not tolerate this type of process, it will decompose or react with the components of the formulas, it will cause flavour problems and, in the end, lack of acceptance in the market.
In this sense, Lipofer has been quite successful in many products because a stable chocolate milk with iron has been achieved. This is very important for women and children.
Iron in Children’s Nutrition: Success Stories with Lipofer in Peru
Another case that is super important and worth highlighting is a large client in Peru who managed to put Lipofer in orange juice for children. It is a way for children to consume iron. It is a very complicated formula because, as it is a juice with vitamin C, it usually interacts with iron in a UHT format for children. It is a very complicated formula and they managed to stabilize it thanks to Lipofer.
I think it is a very important format because everything that is juice and milk for children is a very large market. Lipofer has shown that for this type of application, a stable product is achieved that tastes good and is for the most difficult clients, which are children. I think these are very interesting cases to explore.
You spoke earlier about the challenges of formulating with iron. Why is it a difficult task? Could you explain to us better what these drawbacks are?
Iron is very reactive. Basically, it reacts with anything. If you put heat or another ingredient in it, it creates complexes, it changes the flavor, it changes the color.
It is very sensitive. You have to know how to formulate it very well and it is very necessary. What happens if it is not well formulated? Well, no matter how much you take it, in the end it will not be absorbed well.
That is why iron has so many challenges and continues to be an ingredient that continues to seek solutions because its reactive nature prevents the formulation of stable products that are well accepted by consumers. Basically, it is because of its nature that it is very reactive.
It must be protected not only in the process. For example, microencapsulation helps, it makes it more robust, it protects the entire manufacturing process. But once it is in contact with the consumer, the consumer must also be protected so that the iron does not react in the stomach, that it is not released earlier.
What happens if it is released earlier? It gives you side effects, it gives you heartburn, it makes you nauseous. Iron must be protected all the time because of its reactive nature. Once it has passed through the entire digestive tract, what is important is that it is released so that it can be absorbed.
Microencapsulation of Iron: The Key to Stable Nutritional Products
Iron itself is very difficult to pass through without reacting first. If you microencapsulate it, you ensure that it can withstand the entire process and that it can withstand the intestine once it enters the consumer, which is when it must be released. That is why these technologies are recommended to ensure that the iron is stable and that it will also be absorbed well in the end, which is what is important.
Excellent, and that’s why Lubrizol offers microencapsulation of iron, which means you don’t have all those problems. Very well. What is the appropriate dose for the product or the target audience we want to treat? How are the doses managed?
Yes, it usually depends on the age. For example, for children it is usually more or less 6 mg, you see it on cans of baby milk. For women, normally of childbearing age, it is more or less 14 mg.
During pregnancy it is more, the dose depends on the country. It is very limited by country, but as there is a much greater need for blood irrigation because the fetus is being created, it is necessary to ingest much more iron. They are asked for up to 26 mg.
The amount of iron depends on the person’s condition and age. For men it can also be 18 mg, which is what is recommended. For older people it is not recommended to have as much iron, but it is important because it can affect cognitive decline or cause more fatigue and tiredness.
Each formula has to be adjusted to the public depending on the needs. Especially women are the ones who need it the most. During pregnancy is where you will see higher doses of iron in products.
What other ingredients can be combined? Are there any ingredients that can enhance the effect of iron?
Yes, for example, you always give vitamin C. It is well known that it helps increase iron absorption. It is very common to see formulators combine the two vitamins with iron. The problem is that they often interact, so you have to know how to formulate with both.
Folic acid is also very commonly formulated together with iron because it has another way of metabolizing iron that also supports iron deficiency. You see so many ingredients that help maintain healthy iron levels from an alternative metabolism like folic acid, but also vitamins that help better absorb iron.
These ingredients usually go together, but vitamin C typically causes issues. It is recommended to formulate with a microencapsulated ingredient to be able to add these ingredients that can cause issues for formulators.
The good thing about Lubrizol is that in addition to offering innovative ingredients, they also help formulators in this whole process.
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