SOY FERRIC PROTEIN
AN INNOVATION IN MINERAL FORTIFICATION OF FOOD
PRODUCT PROFILE
SYNTEX S.A.
Luis De Sarro 501 - (B1838DQK) – Luis Guillón – Buenos Aires – Argentina – Tel./Fax: (54 11) 4367-6100 syntex@syntexar.com –
www.syntexar.com
Brief Introduction
The link between diet and many chronic diseases is becoming firmly
established, and an increasing awareness of the diet-health relationship has
stimulated more interest in the role of the diet and specific kinds of food in
the prevention and treatment of diseases as well as in the improvement of
body functions.
A good diet is now implicated in the long-term prevention of diseases, and a
poor diet is the cause of serious diseases, such as coronary heart disease
and some cancers.
In order to enhance this, an increasing number of foods are now fortified
with minerals. Current knowledge and research on mineral fortification of
foods covers not only the nutritional aspect of the mineral in question, but
also the compounds used to do such fortification.
Accordingly, Syntex has developed a new derivative of soy protein
containing complexed trivalent iron, intended for iron fortification of foods.
Description
The market of iron fortification of foods recognizes a lack of iron compounds
prepared from natural protein sources. Ferric proteins do not irritate the
gastrointestinal tract (strong difference with organic or inorganic iron salts),
due to the fact that iron in such compounds is not electrically charged, but
complexed. Iron compounds from animal proteins, are well recognized for
their use in the pharmaceutical field (ferrosuccinyl caseinate, ferrimannitol
ovalbumin, artificial non-heme iron proteins derived from bovine serum
albumin) but two main objections could be made to the use of this kind of
compounds:
a. Being animal source derivatives, extremely careful processes for
inactivating conventional viruses and prions must be performed in order to
eliminate risk of viral diseases transmission from animals to man. Of course,
any other kind of immuno-toxicity phenomena should be minimized (for
instance, destruction and/or inactivation of avidin in ovalbumin derivatives).
b. In spite of this, the above mentioned compounds are not friendly with
vegetarian diet foods. Moreover, no iron compounds derived from vegetable
proteins (intended for fortification of foods) are being marketed up to date, in
the best of our knowledge. Development of soy protein-based iron
compounds at Syntex followed these main guidelines:
• Soy protein is a valuable and very safe vegetable protein source in
the modern world, without any kind of risk regarding viral transmissible
diseases, and a very useful protein source for the development of
protein-based iron fortifier.
SYNTEX S.A.
Luis De Sarro 501 - (B1838DQK) – Luis Guillón – Buenos Aires – Argentina – Tel./Fax: (54 11) 4367-6100 syntex@syntexar.com –
www.syntexar.com
• Intended for food for vegetarians and healthy people that require
reduction of the intake of animal derivatives.
• Soy protein contains a trypsin inhibitor that is totally inactivated
during the manufacturing process of this novel iron compound. Syntex
Soy Ferric Protein is obtained from stability soy protein for beverages
or food with high requirements regarding flavour, odour and mouth feel
characteristics, apart from high nutritional requirements. According to
the producer, this soy protein is not GM modified and is produced in
accordance with an identity preservation program that is based on a
non-GM soybean origin source, in good agreement with the protocols
of the producer.
This protein source contains less than 2% lecithin, so minimizing
allergy risk. In any case, treatments during the manufacture of Syntex
Soy Ferric Protein, minimizes the presence of such lecithin.
Components of Syntex Soy Ferric Protein are a macromolecular
ferrigluconate complex, well stabilized and combined with soy protein in
adequate proportion (a ternary complex among trivalent iron, gluconate
and protein shoud not be excluded).
• Very stable at neutral pH (unlike iron-ovalbumin) so intended for
fortification of soy milk-based beverages, sport beverages, candies and
cereal bars, ice creams, baked goods, milk and milky products
(spreadable cheese) pasta, healthy foods, dietary supplements,
cereals, flours, soy burgers, etc.
Note
To date, Syntex S.A. has not performed any application test on foods with this iron
compounds.
Ideas and data previously mentioned must be understood just as guidelines in
applications development and not as a recommendation of use against any patent.
SYNTEX S.A.
Luis De Sarro 501 - (B1838DQK) – Luis Guillón – Buenos Aires – Argentina – Tel./Fax: (54 11) 4367-6100 syntex@syntexar.com –
www.syntexar.com
Characteristic analytical data of bench-top scale samples
Loss on drying:
1% Soln. (water):
pH 1% Soln.:
Iron (odb):
Nitrogen (odb):
Protein (N x 6,25):
Residue on ignition (odb):
Calcium (odb):
Potassium (odb):
Sodium (odb):
Extractable Lipids:
Molecular Weight (HPLC)
5,7%
clear
7,6
17,1% w/w
8,8%
55%
35%
1500 ppm
450 ppm
4,0%
0,1%
35000 Da
Note: Typical batches were obtained at bench-top scale, no industrial
production took place until now. Therefore, specification sheet has not been
set up according to our practices (scale-up could introduce some minor
changes in analytical values).
SYNTEX S.A.
Luis De Sarro 501 - (B1838DQK) – Luis Guillón – Buenos Aires – Argentina – Tel./Fax: (54 11) 4367-6100 syntex@syntexar.com –
www.syntexar.com