Folic Acid Fortification of Double Fortified Salt

Abstract

The addition of folic acid to Double Fortified Salt aims to ameliorate iron, iodine, and folic acid deficiencies in vulnerable populations. Folic acid was added either to the iodine spray solution or to the iron premix used to prepare salt fortified with iron and iodine. When added through the solution, sodium carbonate was needed to dissolve folic acid and to adjust pH. Alternately, folic acid was added either to the iron core or sandwiched between the core and the TiO2 layer of the ferrous fumarate premix. Folic acid and iodine were stable in all three cases, retaining more than 70% of the added micronutrients after six months at 45 oC/ 60-70% RH. Adding folic acid to the premix's iron core is preferred as folic acid retention was slightly higher, and the added folic acid did not impact a yellow colour to the salt. Folic acid in this salt was stable in cooking and did not affect selected cooked foods' sensory properties. The technology is a cost-effective approach for simultaneously combating iron, iodine, and folic acid deficiencies.

Characterization of granular micronutrient premixes for food fortification

“…A clear boundary between titanium and iron is observed, which indicates a distinct TiO 2 layer surrounding the premix cores. The minimum thickness of the TiO 2 layer measures approximately 25 μm for formulation A, and 15 μm for formulations B and C. The thicker coating layer in formulation A can be attributed to higher TiO 2 content, which is consistent with findings reported by Modupe (2020).…”

“…At the time of analysis, premix with formulation A was the most widely distributed formulation and was used in efficacy trials for double‐fortified salt. Elimination of HPMC from premix was considered for reducing production costs and for improving the appearance of double‐fortified salt, so formulations B and C were also selected because they were the most promising HPMC‐free formulations being investigated (Modupe, 2020). The cross‐sectional and physical properties of formulation A premix can provide information on the effect of HPMC in premix coatings.…”

“…The lab process for producing granular micronutrient premix follows that described by Li (2009) and Modupe (2020). In the lab production process, micronutrients are first mixed with durum wheat semolina flour and hydrated to form a dough that is cold‐extruded through a circular die (die diameter = 0.5 mm), which is then cut to 0.5–1 mm length using a handheld rotary cutter.…”

“…HPMC is used to facilitate the adhesion of TiO 2 onto the micronutrient core. Various micronutrient sources and coating materials have been studied to improve the bioavailability (Li et al, 2011), sensory properties (Li et al, 2011; McGee et al, 2017; Modupe & Diosady, 2021; Vatandoust et al, 2021), and cost‐effectiveness (Modupe, 2020) of premixes. Premix made with HPMC have been used in efficacy studies for double‐fortified salt (Figure 1a), while premixes made without HPMC were developed to reduce manufacturing costs as well as to improve the appearance of fortified salt (Figure 1b) (Diosady et al, 2019; Modupe, 2020).…”

Molecular dynamics simulation study of doxorubicin adsorption on functionalized carbon nanotubes with folic acid and tryptophan

“…One of the ligands used for this purpose is folic acid (FA). Folate receptors are present on the surface of many cancer cells, so using this ligand is a way to target cancer cells 22 – 26 . It is an essential vitamin from the B vitamin group (B9) 27 , 28 .…”