Abstract
A speciation of heme and non-heme irons in food was carried out with atomic absorption spectrophotometric detection. Both heme and non-heme iron were extracted from an iron-containing protein with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) under acidic conditions. A non-heme iron in the MIBK layer was transferred into the aqueous layer by washing the MIBK layer with water. Irons in each layer was determined by porlarized Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry using the discrete nebulization technique. The calibration curves were linear between 0.1 and 6.0 μg Fe/ml. Recoveries of heme and non-heme irons from confectionaries fortified at the level of 40-50 μg Fe/g were more than 84%. Amounts of heme iron in commercially available foods determined by this method were in good agreement with the indicated values of iron. This method was recommended for the routine analysis of iron in hemoprotein and non-heme protein because of its simplicity and accuracy.
