Evening star., 1941-01-30
u, ). Considers Plan
To Strengthen Bread
By Adding Iron
Mills Seek Way to Put
Equivalent of Small Nail
In Daily Serving
mo. 2 OF a Series.)
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

1t is proposed to put about 80
tons more iron a year into the
bodies of the American people-prl-
marily to make them filter for any
emergency.
A specification for ron bread,
containing approximately 6.2 milli-
grams of metal per pound Of flour,
is being considered by the Food and
Drug Administration.
On the assumption that every
body eats ounces of flour a day
this would supply between fourth
and a half of the iron required to
keep up the body's reserves-for
the average adult about the amount
in a shlngle nail. If the new forti-
fed flour about to be launched with
Federal approval supplants ordinary
f1our-as it is expected to do since
most of the great milling COM
panies have expressed approval OF
the program-this will 60 far to
wipe out widespread iron anemia
in the United States, especially in
the Southeast, which robs people
of their natural energy and may
open the way to serious diseases.
Wheat contains a lot of iron, but
most of it is lost under present mill
ing processes. Other foods which
are excellent sources are meat, egg
yolks and green leaves. Iron also
is contained in many vegetables
and fruits.
Process Proves Problem.
Just how to put the iron into
flour is a difficult problem. The
metal occurs in two common chem
ical forms-ferrous and ferric. The
latter Is a much more reactive
chemical 1t might be easier to
handle in various combinations, but
there is fear that it would break
up the various vitamins, chiefly
B-1. which it is also proposed to
put in the new bread. Some of the
methods proposed for putting the
less reactive ferrous iron into -four
would, it is feared, turn the prod
uct black. The method finally
adopted may be to mix with flour
very finely powdered iron. This now
is used by some physicians in treat
ing certains forms of anemia and
appears to be absorbable by the
system The method most favored
is some form of iron phosphate,
such as has long been used for
iron tonics."
Different milling companies, ac-
cording to Food and Drug Admin
istration officials, have their chem
lists at work on processes.
The body uses about an ounce
Of iron day. 1t is an essential
part of hemoglobin, the red coloring
matter in blood cells which carry
oxygen to every cell. These red
blood cells are manufactured in
the bone marrow-about 5000, ,O00,-
100000 of them a day About the
same number are broken up every
day. and the iron in them Is re-
turned to the bone marrow to be
used over and over. There is nee
essarily some waste, however, and
nobody could live long without new
supplies.
A baby, it is pointed out by Agri-
culture Department food experts,
comes into the world with a plenti-
full iron supply absorbed from the
body of the mother. Women need
considerably more iron than men
and exceptionally large reserves are
required during pregnancy. Milk,
the infants chief food, supplies little
iron. Thus, it has been found,
anemias are likely to occur in child
hood.
The average healthy man, 1t is
calculated, should hav0 about II
milligrams of the metal a day and,
if he is a hearty eater, he probably
will get this without specifically
planning his diet. Women generally
need more iron and eat less IRON
containing foods.
The body can only store a certain
amount of the metal and any extra
supply, so far as it has been possible
to determine, does no good.