Cereal Chem 54:572 - 579.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Availability of Iron in Several Commercial Bakery Products for Hemoglobin Regeneration in Anemic Rats.

J. Miller. Copyright 1977 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Biological availability of iron in some commerical bakery products was assessed using the hemoglobin repletion test on anemic rats. Relative biological value (RBV) of iron in most of the products was comparable to that of the ferrous sulfate used as a standard. Notable exceptions were white loaf bread and sandwich buns, in which RBV of iron was about 50% that of the standard. When considered on the basis of available iron per kilogram or per 1000 kcal of bread, loaf breads containing whole grain wheat or rye flours were superior to white loaf bread. Brown-and-serve rolls, canned biscuits, saltine crackers, and graham crackers might contribute significant amounts of utilizable iron to calorically balanced diets. Doughnuts and pound cake contain a very low ratio of available iron to calories, although the RBV of their iron was high.