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Nutrient-nutrient interactions are an important consideration for any multiple-micronutrient formulation, including Sprinkles, a home-fortification strategy to control anemia. The objectives of this randomized controlled trial were as follows: 1) to compare the absorption of zinc at 2 doses given as Sprinkles; and 2) to examine the effect of zinc and ascorbic acid (AA) on iron absorption from Sprinkles. Seventy-five children aged 12-24 mo were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) 5 mg of labeled zinc ([sup.67]Zn) with 50 mg AA (LoZn group); b) 10 mg of labeled zinc ([sup.67]Zn) with 50 mg AA (HiZn group); or 3) 5 mg zinc with no AA (control). All groups contained 30 mg of labeled iron ([sup.57]Fe). Intravenous infusions labeled with [sup.70]Zn (LoZn and HiZn groups) and [sup.58]Fe (control) were administered. Blood was drawn at baseline, 48 h and 14 d later. The percentage of zinc absorbed did not differ between LoZn (geometric mean = 6.4%; min-max: 1.7-14.6) and HiZn (geometric mean = 7.5%; min-max: 3.3-18.0) groups. However, total zinc absorbed was significantly different between the LoZn (geometric mean = 0.31 mg; min-max: 0.08-0.73) and HiZn (geometric mean = 0.82 mg; min-max: 0.33-1.82) groups (P = 0.0004). Geometric mean percentage iron absorption values did not differ between the LoZn (5.9%; min-max: 0.8-21) and HiZn (4.4%; min-max: 0.6-12.3) groups and between the LoZn and control groups (5.0%; min-max: 1.4-24). We conclude that zinc in the form of Sprinkles has a low bioavailability, yet provides adequate amounts of absorbed zinc in young children, and that there is no effect of zinc or AA on iron absorption from the given formulations of Sprinkles. KEY WORDS: * home-fortification * stable isotopes * zinc absorption * iron absorption * Sprinkles

Severe deficiencies of iron (Fe) and iodine (I) affect more than one third of the world's population. A table salt, fortified with I and Fe, would be useful in areas in which anemia and goiter coexist. However, interactions between the two minerals have prevented their simultaneous use as fortificants. A method has been developed to coat I with dextran such that after spraying onto table salt, Fe and I do not interact. Our objective was to determine the absorption of Fe and the urinary excretion of I from table salt when provided in meals designed to significantly inhibit or enhance Fe absorption. Subjects (n = 16) ingested Fe-enhancing and Fe-inhibiting meals containing 5 g of table salt with 0.39 [Mu]mol dextran-coated I as potassium iodide and I mg of Fe (ferrous fumarate labeled with 59Fe) per gram of salt. Subjects also received a reference dose of 3 mg of ferrous fumarate labeled with 59Fe to 'correct' for interindividual variation in iron absorption at a later date. Measured by whole-body counting, Fe-absorption from the Fe-enhancing meal (36.2 [+ or -] 12.0%, corrected; 13.5 [+ or -] 13.8% uncorrected) was significantly higher than that from the Fe-inhibiting meal (7.4 [+ or -] 11.3%, corrected; 4.0 [+ or -] 8.4%, uncorrected) (P < 0.0001). Urinary excretion of iodine at baseline and postingestion were not significantly different (0.89 [+ or -] 0.5 vs. 1.06 + 0.39 [Mu]mol/L, P < 0.47) and were within the normal range. We conclude that Fe was well absorbed but influenced by the composition of the meal and that urinary excretion of iodine was maintained in the normal range with dextrancoated iodine. KEY WORDS: iron absorption; double-fortified salt; dextran-coated iodine; humans

A joint Working Group from the Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada met in the early 1990s to consider the applicability of recommendations to restrict total and saturated fat in children [greater than or equal to] 2 y of age. The Group weighed information from the literature on the nutritional needs for growth and development against evidence relating diet to risk of nutrition-related diseases. The Group concluded that the efficacy of the fat-restricted diet could not be assumed. There was no evidence that implementation of the diet would reduce illness in later life or provide benefit to children as children. Regarding safety, some children consuming self-selected diets with low fat intakes have lower energy intakes and food patterns that may compromise the intake of certain key nutrients. The primary recommendations of the Group were that the provision of adequate energy and nutrients to ensure adequate growth and development remains the most important consideration in the nutrition of children and that during the preschool and childhood years, nutritious food choices should not be eliminated or restricted because of fat content. Once linear growth has stopped, fat intake as currently recommended (30:10) is appropriate. J. Nutr. 126: 1022S-1027S, 1996. INDEXING KEY WORDS: fat, saturated fat, children, adolescents