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Objectives of Food Fortification

Food fortification is a public health practice of adding micronutrients to conventional food products, such as milk, to enhance their nutritional content. Micronutrients are trace quantities of essential vitamins and minerals, which, when added to foods, can help consumers meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommended minimum dietary requirements. The World Health Organization promotes the science and practice of food fortification as a preventive health measure to counter nutritional deficiencies and related diseases.

  1. History

    • Beginning in the 1950s, nutrition and agricultural scientists developed ways of increasing the nutritional value of agricultural crops such as rice and wheat to improve public health. For instance, the Rockefeller Institute introduced "Golden Rice" in Asia and India; this variety of rice was fortified with beta-carotene to combat related nutritional deficiencies that were widespread in the region. Not only did food fortification become a frequent component of international agricultural development and nutrition programs, but it also became a central feature of U.S. public health practices as well.

    Approaches

    • Two central approaches to food fortification exist. The first approach is by adding vitamins or essential minerals to the genetic makeup of a plant, such as the fortification of rice with beta-carotene. The second approach is by adding micronutrients to a completed food product, such as juice. In this type of approach, food producers add micronutrients to the food product before the products are available to the public.

    Objectives

    • One of the key objectives of food fortification is to help consumers who live in areas with limited food resources. Another objective is to increase the nutritional health of populations that either have a low-income status or live in areas where access to wholesome foods is constrained.

    Examples

    • Fortified foods are widespread, for example, milk with vitamin D and fruit juice with calcium. The micronutrients added to these food products minimize the risk of illness arising from nutritional deficiencies. For instance, folic acid is important for gestational development, and calcium is necessary for maintaining strong bones. Additionally, adding fluoride to tap and bottled water is viewed as a public health measure that improves oral hygiene.

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