Process of forming iron hydroxypyrone compounds

1. A method of forming iron tri(maltol) comprising:

combining maltol with an aqueous solution having a pH of 3 to about 7;

heating the combined maltol and aqueous solution to form a heated maltol solution having a pH of 3 to 7;

combining the heated maltol solution with a non-carboxylate iron salt to form a solution having a pH of 3 to 7;

combining the solution having a pH of 3 to 7 with an aqueous alkaline solution comprising maltol, wherein the aqueous alkaline solution has a pH of greater than 7; and

precipitating iron tri(maltol) from the combined solutions having a pH of greater than 7.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-carboxylate iron salt is selected from a ferrous or a ferric salt and mixtures thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises water in an amount of greater than 30% v/v of the total solution.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the precipitate is separated and collected and, optionally, dried.

5. A method of forming iron tri(maltol) comprising:

forming an aqueous solution having a pH of less than 7 comprising iron monomaltol, iron di(maltol), or a mixture thereof by combining a non-carboxylate iron salt with a maltol solution having a pH of less than 7;

adding further maltol to the aqueous solution having a pH of less than 7;

increasing the pH of the aqueous solution to greater than 7; and

precipitating the iron tri(maltol) from the aqueous solution having a pH of greater than 7.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the further maltol is in an aqueous alkaline solution.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the non-carboxylate iron salt is selected from a ferrous or a ferric salt and mixtures thereof.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises water in an amount of greater than 30% v/v of the total solution.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the precipitate is separated and collected and, optionally, dried.