BIOAVAILABILITY OF IRON IN SELECTED CEREAL-BASED PREPARATIONS - AN IN-VITRO STUDY

The percent available iron was determined in some commonly consumed ce real-based Indian food preparations using an in vitro method. Proximat e composition, including ash content (by both dry and wet methods) of the food preparations was analysed. In rice-based preparations total i ron content analysed after dry and wet ashing showed significant diffe rences. Total iron content (by dry ashing) of the foods ranged from 5. 0 (Pongal) to 42.3 mg (upittu). The percent soluble iron ranged from 7 4.2% (rice flakes upittu) to 12.2% (upittu). However, ionizable iron w hich ranged from 52.1% (Pongal) to 6.3% (upittu) depending on the food preparation, did not show similar pattern. Ionizable iron which varie d significantly between foods showed a significant positive correlatio n with energy. The results not only emphasize the fact that it is impo rtant to understand the interaction between different foods but also t hat of meal composition for bioavailability of iron.