Biomaterial Database

The Role of Food Fortification in Addressing Iron Deficiency in Infants and Young Children. 2016

Jörg Spieldenner

Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Iron deficiency, one of the most widespread nutritional disorders, affects millions of people in emerging economies and, increasingly, in industrialized countries. Due to the high iron requirements during growth and development, infants and young children are among those most severely affected by iron deficiency. Iron deficiency that occurs during the critical phases of early life development has long-lasting health consequences that are reflected in increased risk of disease, reduced economic productivity and premature death, underscoring the importance of infants and young children as a key target group for addressing iron deficiency. This chapter focuses on the use of fortified foods as a cost-effective mechanism to address iron deficiency in this particularly vulnerable subpopulation. Nutritional policies that include food fortification need to be implemented within the context of effective public-private partnerships in order to address the fundamental mechanisms of accessibility, affordability and availability of nutritious food items for those in the lowest socio-economic strata.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003362	Cost-Benefit Analysis	A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. In contrast a cost effectiveness in general compares cost with qualitative outcomes.	Cost and Benefit,Cost-Benefit Data,Benefits and Costs,Cost Benefit,Cost Benefit Analysis,Cost-Utility Analysis,Costs and Benefits,Economic Evaluation,Marginal Analysis,Analyses, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Utility,Analysis, Marginal,Benefit and Cost,Cost Benefit Analyses,Cost Benefit Data,Cost Utility Analysis,Cost-Benefit Analyses,Cost-Utility Analyses,Data, Cost-Benefit,Economic Evaluations,Evaluation, Economic,Marginal Analyses
D005527	Food, Fortified	Any food that has been supplemented with essential NUTRIENTS either in quantities that are greater than those normally present, or which are not found in the food typically. Fortified food also includes food enriched by adding various nutrients to compensate for those removed by refinement or processing. (Modified from Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992).	Enriched Food,Food, Supplemented,Enriched Foods,Food, Enriched,Foods, Enriched,Foods, Fortified,Foods, Supplemented,Fortified Food,Fortified Foods,Supplemented Food,Supplemented Foods
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014943	Global Health	A multi- and interdisciplinary field concerned with improving health and achieving equity in health for all people. It transcends national boundaries, promotes cooperation and collaboration within and beyond health science fields, and combines population-based disease prevention with individually-based patient care.	International Health Problems,World Health,International Health,Worldwide Health,Health Problem, International,Health Problems, International,Health, Global,Health, International,Health, World,Health, Worldwide,Healths, International,International Health Problem,International Healths,Problem, International Health,Problems, International Health
D018798	Anemia, Iron-Deficiency	Anemia characterized by decreased or absent iron stores, low serum iron concentration, low transferrin saturation, and low hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit value. The erythrocytes are hypochromic and microcytic and the iron binding capacity is increased.	Iron-Deficiency Anemia,Anemias, Iron-Deficiency,Iron-Deficiency Anemias,Anemia, Iron Deficiency,Anemias, Iron Deficiency,Iron Deficiency Anemia,Iron Deficiency Anemias
D019049	Developed Countries	Countries that have reached a level of economic achievement through an increase of production, per capita income and consumption, and utilization of natural and human resources.	Industrialized Countries,Developed Nations,Industrialized Nations,Countries, Developed,Countries, Industrialized,Country, Developed,Country, Industrialized,Developed Country,Developed Nation,Industrialized Country,Industrialized Nation,Nation, Developed,Nation, Industrialized,Nations, Developed,Nations, Industrialized
D019266	Iron, Dietary	Iron or iron compounds in FOOD AND BEVERAGES or DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. Iron is important in OXYGEN transport and the synthesis of the iron-porphyrin proteins such as HEMOGLOBIN; MYOGLOBIN; and CYTOCHROMES. Insufficient amounts of dietary iron can lead to IRON DEFICIENCIES.	Dietary Iron
D019587	Dietary Supplements	Products in capsule, tablet or liquid form that provide dietary ingredients, and that are intended to be taken by mouth to increase the intake of nutrients. Dietary supplements can include macronutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and/or MICRONUTRIENTS, such as VITAMINS; MINERALS; and PHYTOCHEMICALS.	Food Supplements,Neutraceuticals,Dietary Supplementations,Food Supplementations,Herbal Supplements,Nutraceuticals,Nutriceuticals,Dietary Supplement,Food Supplement,Herbal Supplement,Neutraceutical,Nutraceutical,Nutriceutical,Supplement, Food,Supplement, Herbal,Supplementations, Dietary,Supplements, Dietary,Supplements, Food,Supplements, Herbal