Fe absorption was measured in adult human subjects consuming different cereal foods fortified with radiolabelled FeSO₄, ferrous fumarate or NaFeEDTA, or with radiolabelled FeSO₄ or ferric pyrophosphate in combination with different concentrations of Na₂EDTA. Mean Fe absorption from wheat, wheat–soyabean and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) infant cereals fortified with FeSO₄ or ferrous fumarate ranged from 0·6 to 2·2 %. For each infant cereal, mean Fe absorption from ferrous fumarate was similar to that from FeSO₄ (absorption ratio 0·91–1·28). Mean Fe absorption from FeSO₄-fortified bread rolls was 1·0 % when made from high-extraction wheat flour and 5·7 % when made from low-extraction wheat flour. Fe absorption from infant cereals and bread rolls fortified with NaFeEDTA was 1·9–3·9 times greater than when the same product was fortified with FeSO₄. Both high phytate content and consumption of tea decreased Fe absorption from the NaFeEDTA-fortified rolls. When Na₂EDTA up to a 1:1 molar ratio (EDTA:Fe) was added to FeSO₄-fortified wheat cereal and wheat–soyabean cereal mean Fe absorption from the wheat cereal increased from 1·0 % to a maximum of 5·7 % at a molar ratio of 0·67:1, and from the wheat–soyabean cereal from 0·7 % to a maximum of 2·9 % at a molar ratio of 1:1. Adding Na₂EDTA to ferric pyrophosphate-fortified wheat cereal did not significantly increase absorption (P>0·05). We conclude that Fe absorption is higher from cereal foods fortified with NaFeEDTA than when fortified with FeSO₄ or ferrous fumarate, and that Na₂EDTA can be added to cereal foods to enhance absorption of soluble Fe-fortification compounds such as FeSO₄.