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 amounts of micronutrients to foods during processing, which helps consumers achieve the required levels of micronutrients in their diet.

Purpose:

The original purpose of food fortification was to decrease the occurrence of nutrient deficiencies, particularly in populations that lack access to sufficient amounts of essential nutrients. Food fortification helps people living in developed countries, like the U.S., as well as those in underdeveloped countries, where a variety of foods are not always available. In fact, food fortification is a cost-effective way to get nutrients to people around the world. For instance, food staples like rice and flour can be fortified with vital nutrients. This fortification eliminates the expense of transporting perishable foods, such as meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, to remote areas of the world. The results of food fortification have been significant, with many nutrition-related diseases being eradicated or greatly diminished. Fortified Thali constituting fortified food items as shown below is very much nutritious.

Examples of fortification in foods:

Many foods and beverages worldwide have been fortified, whether a voluntary action by the product developers or by law. Although some may view these additions as strategic marketing schemes to sell their product, there is a lot of work that must go into a product before simply fortifying it. To fortify a product, it must first be proven that the addition of this vitamin or mineral is beneficial to health, safe, and an effective method of delivery. The addition must also abide by all food and labelling regulations and support nutritional rationale. From a food developer's point of view, they also need to consider the costs associated with this new product and whether there will be a market to support the change. The Food Fortification Initiative lists all countries in the world that conduct fortification programs, and within each country, what nutrients are added to which foods, and whether those programs are voluntary or mandatory. Vitamin fortification programs exist in one or more countries for folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B₆, vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D and vitamin E. Mineral fortification programs include calcium, fluoride, iodine, iron, selenium and zinc. The most commonly fortified vitamin – as used in 62 countries – is folate; the most commonly fortified food is wheat flour (enriched flour).

Nutrition International promotes fortification of staple foods and condiments, including:

Wheat flour, maize flour and rice with micronutrients, including iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin B12, and others.

Universal salt iodization and double-fortified salt with iodine and iron.

Edible oils with vitamins A and D.

Pulses with iron etc.

Following flowchart shows the fortification of rice for your better understanding: 

Advantages of Food fortification:

Fortification helps to minimize or decrease the potential occurrence of micro-nutrient deficiency.

Fortification helps to improve dietary intake and nutritional status of an individual.

Fortification is one of the most cost-effective procedures that can be executed on a bigger scale.

Fortified foods are better at bringing down the danger of different insufficiency that can result from shortfalls in the nutrition supply or a low-quality eating routine.

It doesn’t require an adjustment in the individual and utilization design.

The amount of micro-nutrients added to the food is little and all-around managed. Thus, the probability of an overdose is far-fetched.

Fortification is planned in such a way that the intrinsic characteristics of the food such as the taste, the appearance and the texture are not altered.

Disadvantages of Food fortification:

Overdose of nutrients.

Self life of fortified milled cereals is reduced.

Regular quality control is essential.

Prolonged cooking of fortified foods leads to 90% loss of vitamin C.

While fortified foods contain increased amounts of selected micronutrients, they are not a substitute for a good quality diet that supplies adequate amounts of energy, protein, essential fats and other food constituents required for optimal health.

Food fortification as a ‘complementary strategy’ rather than a ‘replacement of balanced, diversified diets’ to address malnutrition. Fortification only bridges the gap between the need and actual consumption of required micronutrients through food. Excess dosages of vitamins and minerals in some cases can have harmful effects.

Conclusion:

Food fortification is the process whereby nutrients are added to food to maintain or improve the quality of the diet. For example, milk is often fortified with vitamin D, and calcium may be added to fruit juices. Food fortification is a cost-effective intervention with the potential to address malnutrition globally. Studies on the fortification of foods have shown positive results not only in the control and prevention of micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable populations, especially women and children, but also along social, economic and environmental dimensions.

Food fortification is an essential element in nutrition strategies to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies. It is a dynamic area developing in response to the needs of population groups and global industries. Efforts should continue to develop new systems of delivering micronutrients to target populations through appropriate fortification procedures. To facilitate this, those involved in the establishment of food fortification programmes must have ready access to information concerning fortification techniques and procedures being used all over the world. Adequate monitoring of food fortification is essential and should include both monitoring of critical control points in the production and distribution of fortified foods and the strict monitoring of micronutrient status.

From a business perspective, fortification can also make for more marketable products. However, blending nutrients is a science involving consideration of many factors. Good practice calls for high quality nutritional blends that address these issues and gain consumer confidence in the product and in the role that nutrition can play in improving health and fighting disease.

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Funding:

This research article did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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About the Author:

Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh, M.Sc. (Gold Medalist), Ph.D. is the founder and author of “Pharma Solutions by Dr. Ajay”.

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Disclaimer:

Examples used in this article are not meant to be endorsements of any product or technology from the author.