Lipofoods has launched Lipofer, an orosoluble iron targeting the needs of pregnant or nursing millennial women.

The orosoluble (melt-in-your-mouth) “stick” is described as a fun, tasty way to consume highly bioavailable iron for women with iron deficiency, as well as during and after pregnancy. Lipofer provides 100% RDA of iron, plus vitamin C to boost iron absorption and add aroma.

“Successfully combining high stability and pleasant taste into a formulation with a high dose of bioavailable iron was a difficult challenge,” said Isabel Gomez, marketing manager for Lipofoods. “Most iron sources tend to interact with vitamin C, leading to undesirable organoleptic changes in colour and flavour of the final product. Usually, formulators can incorporate only about 15% of the iron RDA into an edible supplement, due to the metallic taste of the metal. Even then, such formulations typically require expensive artificial flavours to mask the off taste. Lipofoods’ orosoluble iron is a clean formulation, without artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. And, it is ideal for vegan consumers.”

“While Lipofoods is not offering Lipofer sticks as a final product, the prototype demonstrates Lipofer’s superior advantages as a highly soluble, highly bioavailable, and flavourful system for incorporating 100% of daily iron into a single delivery system,” said David Padro, Business Manager of Lipofoods. “Consumers—especially millennials—are seeking new ideas for consuming vitamin and mineral supplements. The delivery must be easy to use, flavourful, and with a unique texture. And it has to be fun.”

A pregnant woman needs iron to form a sufficient production of haemoglobin, according to Lipofoods, which in turn functions to transmit oxygen through the body. During pregnancy, iron needs double, as most of the iron in the blood must supply blood to the growing foetus.

“Key advantages of Lipofer are that it is a water-dispersible, highly bioavailable iron. Its superiority is supported by clinical studies showing that it is more bioavailable, and more stable, than other iron sources,” said Gomez.