Availability of Iron from Food Cooked in an Iron Utensil Determined by an In Vitro Method

Availability of iron from food cooked in iron utensils was determined by an in vitro method. Foods were cooked in iron (I) and in noniron (NI) utensils and combined to form meals. Applesauce and the meal contained more iron when cooked in I than in NI. The meals were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Iron from the digestion mixture which diffused across a semipermeable membrane was measured calorimetrically and by radioassay. Treatment (cooked I vs NI) did not affect dialyzable iron. The radioassay showed higher dialyzable iron than the calorimetric method. Iron added to food by cooking in iron utensils was as available (as indicated by dialysis) as native food iron.