Experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Institute of Food Research (IFR) will work with key players in the food industry to address health problems associated with eating the wrong foods such as obesity, iron deficiency and anaemia.
It is part of a £4m project involving three research councils and 15 food and drink companies aimed at improving scientific understanding of the link between diet and health.
The focus of the work carried out by the UEA and IFR will be on increasing iron levels because there is a lack of vitamins and minerals in diets associated with modern sedentary lifestyles.
Professor Susan Fairweather-Tait, from the UEA, explained that a lot of foods are rich with iron but the body does not absorb it properly.
She said: “This can lead to iron deficiency and people become lethargic and generally can feel under the weather. We are leading a more sedentary lifestyle now and diets do not tend to be as rich in nutrients.
“As part of this project we are looking at working with major food companies to get more iron into foods. Meat is a good source of iron, along with green vegetables and cereals but if people are not getting enough other nutrients like Vitamin C it is not absorbed in the body very well.
“Therefore more iron has to be added to food while it is being made and we are working on a sort of coated of iron which can be added to cereals, ready meals and other foods which are not raw.
“People need iron to make red blood cells and as well as extreme tiredness there can be developmental delays in children if they do not have enough iron. It is essential in everyone's diet.”
The UEA and IFR were two of 150 organisations that applied for funding to take part in the project and about £400,000 will be used for the research and development of iron in foods.
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