Control Micronutrient Deficiency by Food fortification
Deficiencies of micronutrients, essentially vitamins and minerals, have mainly cause several illnesses, especially in children and women worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have adopted four main strategies for improving dietary intake: food fortification, micronutrient supplementation, nutrition education, and disease control measures. The fortification of staple foods is one strategy that has a proven history in improving dietary diversity and effectively decreasing micronutrient deficiencies. Fortified foods are those that have nutrients added to them that don’t naturally occur in the food. These foods are meant to improve nutrition and add health benefits. Thus, flours, especially wheat, maize and rice, are a popular and common food in the world's populations diet and are gaining considerable attention as a suitable vehicle for micronutrient fortification. Commercial food fortification adds trace amou...