Ferric sodium EDTA (FeNa-EDTA)

and its long and winding road towards implementation

as a food fortificant
Dr. Carel Wreesmann
AkzoNobel
Arnhem, the Netherlands

1950s

carel.wreesmann@akzonobel.com
In 1951 Louis Jacobsen (USA) reported for the first time that
tomatoes grew remarkably well on a nutrient solution
containing ferric-EDTA complex-ions.
In this very same year Schwarzenbach and Heller
(Switzerland) published the stability constant (K)
for ferric-EDTA complex-ion being as high as
Two large filed trials conducted by Bothwell and MacPhail
1025.1 (log K = 25.1).
et al. (South Africa) and by Viteri et al. (Guatemala)
confirmed the favorable Thai data of one decade earlier.
The Guatemalan data also showed that a dosage level as
low as 4 mg/d Fe as FeNa-EDTA was already sufficient to
cure iron deficiency anemia to a satisfactory extent.
In 1962 Brise and Hallberg (Sweden) established that on an empty

1980s

1960s

stomach iron absorption from FeNa-EDTA was less effective than

from FeSO4.
However one year earlier Hodgkinson (Australia) had reported that
a palatable medical syrup could be prepared with FeNa-EDTA.
In 1964 Vohra and
Kratzer (USA) showed
(see figure) that adding
EDTA could effectively
raise the absorption of
Zn in zinc-deplete poultry
feed.

1970s
Despite the observation of Brise and Hallberg (see above), a field
trial with Thai fish sauce fortified with FeNa-EDTA published in 1974
revealed a remarkably high effectiveness of this iron compound.
In 1977 Layrisse and MartnezTorres (Venezuela) were the first
to demonstrate that in phytaterich meals FeNa-EDTA could
induce a significantly higher level
of iron absorption than FeSO4.

In the same investigation

also a plateau effect was
observed to occur after
one to two years (see
figure), indicating no risk
of iron overload due to
this highly bio-available
iron fortificant.

1990s
USAID and ILSI (united as INACG) took up the challenge
of obtaining formal approval for FeNa-EDTA as a food
fortificant from JECFA (Joint (FAO/WHO) Expert
Committee on Food Additives).
After a rejection in 1992, JECFA concluded in 1999 that
sodium iron EDTA could be considered safe when used
in supervised food fortification programmes
In 1993 INACG published a highly
worthwhile and still very relevant
overview on FeNa-EDTA, entitled
Iron EDTA for Food Fortification.

Ferrazone is a registered
trademark of Akzo Nobel N.V.

2000s
The JECFA 1999 approval triggered two major studies with
FeNa-EDTA in rice condiments (soy sauce in China and fish
sauce in Vietnam), as part of their National Food Fortification
programs, in both cases with excellent outcomes. Also highly
promising results were been obtained in flours (wheat in China,
maize in Kenya and atta in India).
In 2006 FAO/WHO issued Guidelines on Food
Fortification with Micronutrients, stating that
NaFeEDTA is recommended for the mass
fortification of high-phytate cereal flours and for
sauces with a high peptide content (e.g. fish
sauce, soy sauce).
Since 2004 a powdered beverage brand that is widely
consumed in a large number of countries, including
Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines, has been fortified
with FeNa-EDTA. So far no indications of any adverse
sensory effects have been noticed.
Recently the Government of Pakistan has decided to fortify atta
flour with FeNa-EDTA as well.
In 2007 JECFA revised their statement of 1999, and declared
that sodium iron EDTA is suitable for use as a source of iron for
food fortification to fulfil nutritional iron requirements.

Conclusion
After more than half a century of hard work by many scientists
and experts, FeNa-EDTA has evolved now into a highly
promising, both safe and effective iron fortificant, for which the
interest worldwide is (slowly but steadily) growing.