Ferrous Fumarate

Ferrous Fumarate, also called iron(II) fumarate, is the iron salt of fumaric acid, with the formula C4H2FeO4 and a molecular weight of 169.9 g/mol. Iron makes up 32.87% of the molecule by weight.

It is an odourless, reddish-orange to reddish-brown powder. It is only slightly soluble in water but dissolves in dilute acid, such as the acid of the stomach, which is how the body takes up its iron.

The grade of Ferrous Fumarate is set by the standard it is tested against, and the right one depends on the product it goes into and the market it is sold in. Agarwal Life Sciences manufactures all six.

The pharmacopoeias differ in their limits. The table below compares the key tests in the USP and BP/Ph. Eur. monographs.

• Pharmaceuticals: tablets, capsules and syrups that prevent and treat iron deficiency anaemia, including prenatal combinations of Ferrous Fumarate with folic acid.
• Flour fortification: wheat flour and maize flour, where it is a recommended iron fortificant, and noodle flours.
• Food fortification: infant cereals, breakfast cereals, bakery products, cocoa-based drink powders, instant noodles and double fortified salt.
• Nutritional premixes and micronutrient powders that deliver iron alongside vitamins and other minerals.
• Nutraceuticals and food supplements.
• Animal nutrition: an iron source in feeds and feed premixes for poultry, cattle, pets and horses.

Its high iron content means less material is needed per dose than with most other iron salts, which helps keep tablets small and premix inclusion rates low.

Ferrous Fumarate is one of the iron compounds recommended by the WHO, FAO, UNICEF, GAIN, the Micronutrient Initiative and the Food Fortification Initiative for fortifying low-extraction (white) wheat flour. The recommended level depends on how much flour people eat each day.

In India, FSSAI's fortification regulations permit Ferrous Fumarate as an iron source for fortified atta and maida at 28–42.5 mg of iron per kg, for double fortified salt at 850–1100 ppm of iron, and for fortified cereal products and bakery wares.

Ferrous Fumarate is popular with food manufacturers because, being poorly soluble in water, it causes fewer changes to a food's colour and flavour in storage than water-soluble salts such as ferrous sulphate. It is not suited to every application: in cocoa drink powders it can discolour the drink when made with boiling liquid.

In adults its iron is about as well absorbed as the iron in ferrous sulphate, the reference compound. In young children absorption has been measured lower, but foods fortified with Ferrous Fumarate have still been shown to improve infants' iron status. Adding ascorbic acid (vitamin C) improves absorption.

Ferrous Fumarate and ferrous sulphate are the two most widely used iron salts, and Agarwal Life Sciences manufactures both. The right choice depends on the product.

Iron percentages are calculated from molecular weight. For water-soluble applications such as liquid premixes, ferrous sulphate is usually the easier choice; for dry foods that must keep their colour and taste on the shelf, Ferrous Fumarate usually is.

• United States: affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) as a nutrient supplement under 21 CFR 184.1307d, and must meet the Food Chemicals Codex specification. It is also listed as a food additive for foods for special dietary use under 21 CFR 172.350.
• European Union, food: a permitted form of iron for adding to foods under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006, and for food supplements under Directive 2002/46/EC.
• European Union, feed: iron(II) fumarate is authorised as a trace-element feed additive for all animal species under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2330.
• India: a permitted iron source under the FSSAI food fortification regulations.
• HS code: 2917.19 (US HTS 2917.19.10.00; India ITC-HS 2917 19 40, "Ferrous fumarate").

Agarwal Life Sciences packs Ferrous Fumarate in 25 kg paper bags with an LDPE liner, or in 25 kg and 50 kg HDPE drums.

Store it in well-closed, airtight containers in a dry place at room temperature, protected from light. Like other fine iron salt powders, it can irritate the skin, eyes and airways, so handle it with dust control and suitable protective equipment, following the safety data sheet.

• One of the largest manufacturers of Ferrous Fumarate in the region, with 30 years of manufacturing experience.
• All six grades from one supplier: IP, BP, EP, USP, FCC and Feed.
• GMP manufacturing at two plants at MIDC Boisar–Tarapur, Maharashtra.
• Certified to GMP, ISO 9001:2015, FSSC 22000 and FAMI-QS, with FSSAI and FDA Maharashtra licences, and Halal and Kosher certification.
• Product customised to your specification by our R&D team.
• Supplying customers in 39 countries through a network of warehousing and clearing agents.
• Certificate of analysis and samples available on request.