Levente Diosady , PhD, P.Eng.

Iron deficiency diseases like anemia affect up to two billion people globally, and for years, the ability to fortify salt with both iodine and iron remained a highly desirable but elusive goal. After 15 years of research, University of Toronto engineering professor Levente Diosady was able to engineer a process that accomplished just that. When deployed in a trial program, it cured anemia in over one million children in India by simply substituting the fortified salt into their lunch. This salt is now being provided to over 60 million adults in the country, with the potential to benefit over a billion more across Africa and Asia. Known in the media as “The Iron Man,” Diosady is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient, and a member of both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Hungary. He holds 21 patents for his work on food processes and is currently researching methods for adding additional micronutrients to salt, which could further improve nutrition for millions of people worldwide.