Fortified and Functional Foods on a Global Scale
| While dietary supplement use in the United States and Western Europe is on the rise, a majority of the world's population cannot afford the relative expense of this delivery system. In fact, a great deal of the world faces food shortages and malnutrition. Albion works with companies around the world on food fortification projects to target staple foods. While minerals often taste bad, have poor bioavailability and speed up rancidity of foods, Albion chelates have been extensively tested and shown to not affect oxidation and contribute minimal taste. Clinical studies with Albion's flagship product, Ferrochel®, have shown Ferrochel improves hemoglobin and ferritin indices at lower dosages than ferrous sulfate or ferrous ascorbate; lower dosages mean fewer side effects and no interactions with other nutrients. One such study at the Latin American Center for Nutrition and Metabolic Studies in Antigua, Guatemala, found infants with iron-deficiency anemia given Ferrochel had significant increases in both hemoglobin and plasma ferritin; researchers concluded it was the "iron of choice" for its high bioavailability and good regulation (Nutrition, 17, 5:381-4, 2001).  Fieldwork with Albion's chelated mineral-fortified foods has shown remarkable results. Albion developed technology to put iron, copper, and zinc, into milk, the cost is approximately 3/10 of a cent per liter. Field tests were conducted in Brazil with anemic schoolchildren; children receiving a liter of Ferrochel-fortified milk per day had normal hemoglobin levels within seven months. The low dosage and exceptional results led the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil to mandate milk fortification with Ferrochel.Other fortification programs have included rice fortification in China, bread and milk in Saudi Arabia, margarine in Latin America and cookies in South Africa. Albion's programs target high carbohydrate, staple foods. These are the major foods available to low-income families, and its is important that minerals used for fortification be highly bioavailable. Amino acid chelates are not only being used for fortification. Companies making functional foods are turning to the more bioavailable form of minerals to enhance nutrition delivery. Ferrochel has GRAS status, is CAS and FCC listed, and is being sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the next Codex Alimentarius meeting to have its monograph included in the Codex listing. European deregulation has affected pending regulatory approval in the European Union; however, the company is working directly with most European nations to allow continued sales until E.U. authorities formally approve the Ferrochel dossier. Albion has affiliate offices worldwide, including South America, Western Europe, Central America, Scandinavia, Thailand, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and South Africa. |