were purchased for sample analysis: sodium acetate, hydroxylamine
hydrochloride (Dae-Jung, Korea), iron standard solution [Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2.6H2O] (Merck), and 1,10 bi-phenanthroline
(VWR, USA). Double de-ionized water from the water distillation unit
(Thermo Scientific, pressure less Ion Exchanger, D1-425) was used
for performing all experiments.
Wheat flour samples were procured
randomly from different locations, that is, local markets, grinders,
and wheat flour mills of district Peshawar and Nowshera. Samples were
tagged and packed in double zip-lock high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
bags. For further analysis, zip-packed samples were transferred to
the Food Nutrition Lab of the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture
(NIFA). The fortificant premix (NaFe-EDTA) was received from the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Food Safety and Halal Food Authority, Pakistan.