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Background: As prevention of osteoporosis becomes more imperative with the global ageing of the population, establishing different measures to fight vitamin D deficiency will also become increasingly important. The aim of this study is to help assess the efficacy of vitamin D-fortified milk on circulating concentrations of 25(OH)D (as the primary outcome), a widely accepted indicator of vitamin D status, in Tehran students. Another objective of the protocol is to help assess the compliance with fortified dairy in students of different socioeconomic classes., Method: The cluster-randomized trial (CITFOMIST) is conducted on 15- to19-year olds guidance and high school students of both genders from different districts of Tehran, in wintertime. The schools enrolled in this study are randomly assigned to receive one of the three groups of milk (whole milk, milk that contained 600 IU Vit D/1000cc, or milk that contained 1000 IU Vit D /1000cc) for a 30-day period. In order to study the effect of vitamin D-fortified milk on the circulating concentrations of 25(OH) D, a serum vitamin D levels are checked in a subgroup before and after the intervention., Conclusion: There are few data on the efficacy of incremental doses of vitamin D from fortified foods among adolescents. This is while developing an optimal model to fight vitamin D deficiency needs further research on bone health outcomes and the safety of vitamin D-fortified products. The modified version of this protocol could be applied in different parts of the country to assess the efficacy of a vitamin-D product.

This community-based study was conducted to evaluate the effects of iron-fortified bread consumption on certain biomarkers of oxidative stress in an apparently healthy population. Evaluation of food intake, anthropometric and laboratory variables was performed in the beginning and after the 8-month intervention for all participants. There was no significant change in oxidative stress biomarkers in women following 8 months intervention. However, in men, final values of total antioxidant capacity, compared to the initial ones, showed a significant decrease in (p = 0.01) which was accompanied by a significant increase in superoxide dismutase (p = 0.002). It could be concluded that although the short-term period (8 months) of extra iron intake did not show severe effects of lipid per oxidation, significant changes of serum iron and some oxidative stress indices suggested that fortification of flour with iron among non-anemic adults in the long term was not without adverse effects.

Background/aims: Despite the advantages of fortifying flour with iron, there are still special concerns regarding the possible adverse effects of the extra iron consumed by nonanemic individuals. This study aimed to investigate the oxidative stress and iron status following 8 and 16 months of consumption of iron-fortified flour in nonanemic men., Methods: In a before-and-after intervention study, 78 nonanemic apparently healthy 40- to 65-year-old men were randomly selected from Semnan, in the northeast of Iran. Data were collected at three time points. Evaluation of oxidative stress biomarkers as well as the assessment of iron status was performed in all three stages. After baseline data collection, the flour fortification program was started with 30 mg/kg iron as ferrous sulfate., Results: After 16 months, serum iron levels had significantly increased from 102.9 ± 31.5 μg/dl (baseline) to 117.2 ± 29.8 μg/dl (p < 0.001). The mean total antioxidant capacity (1.71 ± 0.10 μM) was significantly lower than that at baseline (1.83 ± 0.17 μM; p < 0.01). Among other oxidative stress biomarkers, only superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity increased significantly compared to the beginning of the study (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The results of this study did not show any symptoms of iron overload after 8 and 16 months., Conclusions: Our data did not support the safety of flour fortification with 30 mg/kg iron as ferrous sulfate as a community-based approach to control iron deficiency in nonanemic healthy men., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetic acetate (NaFeEDTA) is a promising iron fortificant for populations consuming high-phytate diets. It produces fewer organoleptic effects than other fortificants do, especially when the matrix of the food vehicle contains fat, and has a bioavailability two to four times higher than that of ferrous sulfate. This study investigated the effects of varying levels of NaFeEDTA (576-1152 mg kg(-1)) on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Petit Beurre biscuits., Results: There were no significant differences in pH, ash, moisture and breaking strength values among all formulae. The iron content (7.2-14.4 mg per 100 g) of the biscuits increased with increasing fortificant level. During a 60 day storage period the peroxide value increased in both fortified and non-fortified formulae, especially after 28 days. The addition of NaFeEDTA had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on the colour, texture and flavour of fortified biscuits., Conclusion: Based on the range proposed for the use of NaFeEDTA as a fortification agent (10 mg iron and 67 mg EDTA per person per day), the results of this study reveal that 720 mg kg(-1) NaFeEDTA (9 mg iron per 100 g) is the optimum level for iron fortification in Petit Beurre biscuits., (Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: It has been suggested that food fortification might be an inexpensive, simple and effective way to control and prevent iron deficiency and its related anemia in many countries. Despite the advantages of this approach and the fact that it has been implemented in some provinces in Iran for more than 6 years, many scientists in the country worry about the negative aspects of the extra iron distributed among non-anemic persons in the community., Objective: This study was designed to assess the effect of the flour fortification program on oxidative stress biomarkers and iron status among non-anemic 40- to 65-year-old adults., Study Design: This study had a special design that was implemented in 3 different parts. The main and first part was a field study. We randomized 2 cities in 1 province. In each city, 200 volunteers (100 men and 100 women) were selected using a multi-stage stratified method. Examination and interview (filling out data collection forms) were the methods of data gathering. In each of the 3 phases, demographic, anthropometric, blood pressure, micro- and macronutrient intakes, physical activities, and some oxidative stress biomarkers were the main data that were gathered. The results of this study can help health policy makers in designing future interventions in the country based on food fortification.

Objectives: Iron-deficiency anaemia is a major nutritional problem in Iran. A programme of flour fortification with iron was launched in 2001. A mid-term evaluation was conducted in 2004 to determine the effectiveness and coverage of this programme., Methods: To determine the effectiveness of the program, a field trial was conducted in which blood hemoglobin and ferritin levels were measured in a sample population from Bushehr (intervention) and Fars (control) provinces. The target population was women aged 15-49 years. The coverage of the programme was determined using a cross-sectional study that measured iron content in samples of flour and bread from Bushehr province., Results: Five hundred and sixty-seven and 296 women were studied in the intervention and control provinces, respectively. Women in the intervention province had a lower prevalence of low ferritin levels compared with women in the control province (P=0.04). Women from the two provinces did not differ in terms of haemoglobin levels and iron-deficiency anaemia. The coverage of fortified flour and bread was 100% and 99.7%, respectively., Conclusions: This mid-term evaluation found that the iron fortification programme in Iran has only had a beneficial effect on the prevalence of low ferritin levels. The final evaluation is likely to provide more useful information regarding the effect of this programme on a number of anaemia indicators.