Iron Nutrition and the Fortification of Food With Iron

At present, a high incidence of iron deficiency prevails in the infant and female population. Improvement in iron balance through fortification of food with additional iron is needed to prevent such deficiency. In the infant, this may be accomplished through the fortification of special food items whose use is confined to infancy. In the adult woman, an increase in fortification of flour and flour products to 40 mg/lb is proposed to accomplish this. Such manipulation of the public diet carries with it the responsibility of monitoring its effects on the iron balance of the population, and on the prevalence of iron deficiency and iron overload.