Storage Stability of Ferrous Iron in Whole Wheat Flour Naan Production

Premix containing ferrous sulfate, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and folic acid (20.0:20.0:1.5 ppm) was used to fortify whole wheat flour stored at ambient temperature for 42 days. Naans (flat bread) were prepared from 0-, 20-, 40- and 60-ppm ferrous iron-fortified flour samples at weekly intervals and were analyzed for physicochemical constants and sensory evaluation. It was observed that flour containing 60-ppm ferrous sulfate contained the highest iron residues. Total iron in flour samples showed no significant difference, while ferrous iron significantly decreased in fortified flour (0.53–3.08%) and in the naans (0.42–3.48%) because of its oxidation to ferric iron during storage. Phytic acid content decreased (0.886–0.810%) significantly during the same storage period. Iron levels affected some sensory characteristics significantly (P ≤ 0.05) including color, texture, flexibility, chewability and overall acceptability of the naans, but not taste and flavor. The sensory attributes of naans illustrated that naans containing 40-ppm ferrous iron are more acceptable than those prepared with 60-ppm ferrous iron.