Micronutrient sprinkles add more bioavailable iron to some Kenyan complementary foods: studies using an in vitro digestion/Caco‐2 cell culture model

摘要

Iron deficiency anaemia is arguably the most important public health problem in developing countries. In Sub‐Saharan Africa, iron deficiency anaemia has largely been attributed to poor infant feeding practices where complementary foods low in iron bioavailability are offered to at‐risk infants. Home fortification of complementary foods using micronutrient Sprinkles has been shown to reduce iron deficiency anaemia in many resource‐poor settings. In this study, the benefit of using the micronutrient Sprinkles as a home fortificant for some Kenyan complementary foods was assessed using an Caco‐2 cell model. In each case when micronutrient Sprinkles were added to the complementary food, the amount of Caco‐2 cell ferritin formation increased. For example, the addition of Sprinkles to corn porridge increased ferritin formation 5‐fold from 5.8 to 31.8 ng mg . Therefore, as indicated by the results, micronutrient Sprinkles would be a suitable form of home fortification for Kenyan complementary foods. Their use should be encouraged so as to improve infant feeding practices in Kenya.