Rapid Method for Quantification of Iron (Fe⁺³) from Ferrazone (NaFe-EDTA) in Fortified Wheat Flour

Conventional methods for quantifying the added iron in wheat flour are time-consuming and costly. A rapid method (Time/Sample: 95 min) was developed by modifying the conventional standard method (Time/Sample: 560 min) and validated. Linearity and linear regression of the rapid method presented excellent correlation coefficient (R²) values (0.9976 to 0.9991), which were close to 1, while the limits of agreement (LOA) were in the range of -0.01 to 0.06 mg/kg. The limits of detection (LOD)/specificity and limits of quantitation (LOQ)/sensitivity values were found to be 0.03 and 0.09 mg/kg, respectively. The rapid method was subjected to validation, wherein the precision of intra-assay, inter-assay, and inter-person was determined to be within the range of 1.35-7.25%. These results indicate a high level of accuracy and precision of the method. The percent relative standard deviation (RSD) for recoveries at varying spiking levels, that is, 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg, was determined at 1.33 lying far below the upper limit of acceptability (RSD < 20). Overall, the developed rapid method can be sustainably alternate for conventional methods owing to its ability to produce accurate, precise, robust, and reproducible results.