IRON NICOTINATE COMPOSITION
The present invention relates to a food composition comprising an iron nicotinate complex. Further aspects of the invention are a composition comprising an iron nicotinate complex for use in the treatment or prevention of iron deficiency, the use of an iron nicotinate complex to fortify a food product with iron and a process for fortifying a food product with iron.
1 . Food composition comprising an iron nicotinate complex.
2 . A food composition according to claim 1 further comprising fruit or vegetables.
3 . A food composition according to claim 1 comprising phenolic chromophore compounds.
4 . A food composition according to claim 1 wherein the phenolic chromophore compounds are selected from the group consisting of curcumin; carminic acid; polyphenols, including anthocyanins, anthocyanidins and gallic acid; and mixtures of these.
5 . A food composition according to claim 1 wherein the food composition has been heat treated.
6 . A food composition according to claim 1 wherein the ΔEab* value of the food composition is less than 2.5 after a heat treatment of 2 minutes at 105° C.
7 . A food composition according to claim 1 wherein the food composition is selected from the group consisting of a biscuit; a cereal bar; a breakfast cereal; a dairy product; a beverage; a culinary product; a nutritional supplement and a pet food.
8 . A food composition according to claim 1 comprising polyunsaturated fatty acids.
9 . A food composition according to claim 1 comprising vitamin A and/or zinc.
10 . Method for the treatment or prevention of iron deficiency comprising administering a food composition comprising an iron nicotinate complex to a patient in need of same.
11 . Method according to claim 10 wherein the iron nicotinate complex is present at a level providing at least 6 ppm of iron in the composition.
12 - 14 . (canceled)
15 . A process for fortifying a food product with iron comprising preparing a food product and adding an iron nicotinate complex.