Lucky Iron Fish: Fighting Iron Deficiency with a Simple Solution

Problem: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.5 billion people suffer from iron deficiency worldwide. It’s the most common nutritional problem around the world. The lack of iron is particularly severe among children and women in developing countries whose dietary needs are frequently unmet. Missing iron in your diet can result in anemia, low energy levels, and difficulty concentrating.

Solution: The Lucky Iron Fish is a fish-shaped object made of iron that families can add to boiling water when cooking a meal. The product is an iron block made from food-grade electrolytic iron. It provides 6-8 mg of bioavailable iron per use, can be reused for up to 5 years. Most diets require 5-10 mg of iron per day. This type of iron is highly absorbable by the body and is commonly used in food fortification. This simple addition boosts the iron content of vegetables, providing an additional source of this essential nutrient. Each unit is priced at $40 US dollars. 

Impact To Date: The organization reports donating about 65,000 units to needy families to date, impacting over 285,000 people globally.

Why is this Innovative? This is an elegant, reusable, and sustainable solution, as it's better than doling out iron tablets. After several scientific studies, researchers found no side effects to using this product. It’s also safe for pregnant women, menstruating women, children, and vegans to use the product. Also, using the product does not change the taste of the food.

What needs to improve?  

• Consistency is necessary, as the tool is only effective if used daily (or at least three times weekly). It also takes 3 to 6 months to see an increase in iron levels. 

• Price is prohibitive, which means NGOs and Health Care Providers have to subsidize the cost so families in need can utilize this product.