What Are Fortified Foods And How Beneficial It Is?

Vitamins and micronutrients are essential for the body's growth and development. Although they only make up a minor portion of our diet, their lack contributes to underdevelopment and several illnesses. More than three out of ten individuals worldwide experience vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies. Numerous figures show that 0.5% of all deaths in India were caused by dietary deficiencies.

In a recent investigation, FSSAI discovered that there were worries about vitamin inadequacies in the Indian population. These inadequacies endanger public health and can be avoided. The majority of Indians are deficient in essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, folic acid, and iodine.

Over the past few decades, the Indian government has spearheaded a range of endeavours with the primary goal of enhancing the overall nutritional and health status of the public. These efforts also extend to endorsing the consumption of fortified foods as a means to elevate nutritional standards and foster holistic well-being.

What is Fortified Food?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) define food fortification as the practice of purposefully improving the nutritional quality of food.

Food enrichment or fortification can replenish the nutrients lost during food preparation or storage. Included are vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients, such as those in foods that have been fortified. Numerous substances, including hormones, enzymes, and other chemicals, must be synthesized for them to grow and develop. Our bodies only require a daily requirement of less than 100 mg of each of these micronutrients.

Different Types of Food Fortification

Based on the stage at which micronutrients are added, there are different types of food fortification:

Industrial or commercial fortification is a cost-effective method of mass-adding nutrients to food. The most widely available fortified foods on the market are:

• Cereals
• wheat Flour
• Corn Meal
• cooking oil
• iodized salt
• Rice
• Milk
• juice

Biofortification: This process involves breeding plants and their genetic modification to increase their nutritional value.

Home fortification: It is more expensive than commercial fortification and includes Vitamin D drops, Micronutrient powder, and Soluble tablets.

Examples of Fortified Food

In India, there are a number of populations who do not eat enough vegetables and fruits. It leads to a deficiency in essential nutrients. Vitamin A, D, B12, iron, zinc, and iodine are the common nutrient deficiency. Food producers add these nutrients to food products such as

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Dietary fibres
• Calcium
• iodized salt
• Magnesium
• Folate.

You will find the following food items commonly available in the market that contain fortified items:

• Whole grains
• vegetable oils
• Breakfast cereals
• Granolas
• Soy Milk
• Almond Milk
• Vitamin D and Calcium fortified milk products
• Sugar
• unsweetened oatmeal
• unflavored yoghurt
• Ice creams
• Eggs
• Fruit juices

Benefits of Fortified Foods

Enhancing nutritional value with additional micronutrients can have a substantial positive impact on individuals facing dietary insufficiencies. Fortified foods come with a host of benefits that are worth considering:

Preventing Health Issues Stemming from Nutrient Deficits: Insufficient nutrient intake can give rise to a range of health problems. Inadequate levels of essential vitamins and minerals may lead to conditions such as rickets due to a lack of vitamin D, anaemia arising from insufficient iron, osteoporosis caused by inadequate calcium and vitamin D levels, and even complications in the neurological and reproductive systems due to zinc deficiency. By incorporating fortified foods into one's diet, the occurrence of these health disorders related to nutrient insufficiency can be notably minimized.

The strategy of enhancing foods by clinical research organizations with additional micronutrients addresses the intricacies of dietary shortcomings. This approach has the potential to be remarkably effective in reducing the prevalence of ailments linked to nutritional inadequacies.

Vital during pregnancy: Maintaining optimal zinc levels is crucial, as insufficient amounts have been linked to elevated rates of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Additionally, an inadequate intake of folate holds the potential to result in irregular neural development in foetuses. Surprisingly, even with a seemingly sufficient diet during pregnancy, the risk of nutrient deficiency remains. To counteract this, incorporating fortified foods into the maternal diet can significantly enhance the well-being of both the mother and the unborn child, effectively reducing the likelihood of various congenital abnormalities in offspring.

Nurturing children's growth and development: Scientific evidence seen in a health research institute solidifies the connection between deficiencies in iron, zinc, and vitamins A and D with developmental hindrances in children. Thus, ensuring the provision of fortified foods or micronutrient supplements during their formative years emerges as an imperative. This approach actively fosters not only their physical growth but also plays a pivotal role in nurturing their cognitive progress.

Addressing Nutritional Needs: For individuals adhering to strict vegetarian, vegan, or lactose-intolerant diets, along with those grappling with diet-related conditions, maintaining adequate micronutrient levels can prove challenging. Such deficiencies can pave the way for a spectrum of illnesses. The integration of fortified foods into one's dietary regimen emerges as a promising solution, bridging the gap in essential nutrients and bolstering overall well-being.

Catering to the Elderly: As we age, the efficiency of our digestive system wanes, leading to reduced nutrient absorption. This, in turn, ushers in a potential nutritional deficit. By incorporating fortified foods into the diet, the elderly can effectively safeguard their optimal vitamin levels. This fortification not only supports bone strength but also enhances digestive processes and promotes sound organ functionality.

Disadvantages Of Fortified Foods

Fortified foods come with their share of limitations, and it is essential to navigating these nuances wisely. The intricate interplay between fortified and unprocessed foods can sometimes amplify the risk of nutritional overdose. Striking a balance is key; solely relying on fortified meals while side-lining the goodness of fruits and vegetables might inadvertently invite malnutrition to the table.

Unprocessed diets, brimming with antioxidants and bioactive compounds sourced from plants, stand as formidable guardians against a gamut of chronic ailments and inflammatory woes. The protective shield they provide is both intricate and invaluable.

Diving deeper, it is worth noting that whole foods wield the power of calorie control. In contrast, the allure of processed fortified alternatives can inadvertently set the stage for overindulgence and the unwelcome guest of weight gain. Navigating this nutritional terrain demands finesse. Fortified foods undoubtedly play a role in meeting our body's nutritional demands, yet their inclusion should harmonize seamlessly with the vibrancy of fruits, the crunch of nuts, the earthiness of vegetables, and the vitality of seeds. Balancing these elements ensures a symphony of nourishment that resonates with our holistic well-being.

Role of Health Research Institutes in the Study of Fortified Food

Micronutrient insufficiency is common all around the world. Micronutrient malnutrition (MNM) is frequent in wealthy countries, but it is far more common in developing countries. Micronutrient deficiencies can affect people of all ages, but tiny children and women of reproductive age are more sensitive. Micronutrient insufficiency causes a wide range of detrimental health effects, not all of which are clinically obvious. Even slight deficiencies (as determined by biochemical or clinical tests) can have serious effects on human function.

In addition to the apparent and immediate health consequences, the presence of Micronutrient Malnutrition (MNM) has far-reaching implications for economic development and productivity, notably in terms of potentially enormous public health costs and lost human capital formation. Iron, vitamin A, and iodine insufficiency are the three most frequent types of MNM worldwide. These collectively affect at least one-third of the global population, the vast majority of whom live in developing nations. Iron deficiency is the most common of the three. It is estimated that slightly more than 2 billion individuals are anaemic, slightly less than 2 billion have insufficient iodine diet, and 254 million preschool-aged children are vitamin A deficient.

How to Control Micronutrient Malnutrition?

Controlling vitamin and mineral deficiencies is a critical component of the overall fight against hunger and malnutrition. Countries must embrace and support a comprehensive approach to addressing the causes of malnutrition and the frequently accompanying "hidden hunger," which are intrinsically linked to poverty and unsustainable livelihoods. Actions should be promoted that increase the availability, access, consumption, and utilization of an acceptable quantity, quality, and variety of foods for all population groups. The goal is for everyone to be able to get all of the energy, macro-, and micronutrients they need from their food to live a healthy and productive life. Food-based solutions such as dietary diversity and food fortification, as well as nutrition, are examples of policy and program responses carried out by health research institutes.

These techniques should be viewed as complementary, with their relative importance determined by local conditions and the unique mix of local demands. Programs that supply micronutrient supplements frequently yield the fastest increase in the micronutrient status of individuals or targeted populations among the three approaches for boosting micronutrient intake. Food fortification has a considerably broader and longer-lasting impact than supplementation. Although increasing nutritional diversity is widely viewed as the most desired and sustainable choice, it is the most difficult to achieve.

When and where existing food supply and limited access fail to offer enough quantities of the relevant nutrients in the diet, food fortification with micronutrients is a viable method for reducing micronutrient malnutrition as part of a food-based approach. Food fortification reinforces and supports ongoing nutrition improvement programs in such circumstances, and it should be viewed as part of a broader, integrated approach to preventing MNM, complementing other measures to improve micronutrient status.

Because MNM is frequently connected with low overall nutritional status and a high prevalence of illness, more general public health measures are frequently required to help prevent and treat MNM. Infection control (e.g., vaccine, malaria, and parasite control) and water and sanitation enhancement are examples of such methods. Other factors, including as childcare quality and maternal education, must also be considered when creating public health responses to MNM.

Food Fortification in Practice

In many developed countries, the diet has long been fortified by using to rectify deficiencies in vitamins A, Vitamin D, vitamins B (riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin), iron, and iodine. Meals for children are fortified with iron were found to reduce the risk of iron-deficiency anaemia. In the recent years, fortifying wheat with folic acid has become common in the USA.

This strategy has been adopted by Canada and approximately 20 Latin American countries. Enrichment of diet has attracted the developed countries in recent years, with planned projects moving faster than previously anticipated.

Given the success of Central America's very long-running effort to fortify sugar with vitamin A, where the prevalence of vitamin A insufficiency has been significantly reduced, similar initiatives are being explored in other global regions.

Therefore, efficacy trials or claims of program effectiveness by any clinical research organization

tend to provide evidence that food fortification programs do enhance nutritional status. The impact of fortified foods on nutritional status and other outcomes has been usefully recorded by efficacy trials, which are trials carried out in controlled feeding conditions. It is less common to find evidence of program effectiveness, which is determined by evaluating changes in nutritional status and other outcomes after a program has been implemented. Even fewer of the few efficacy trials that have been conducted—and this omission diminishes the evidence that can be drawn from studies of this kind—included a non-intervention control group.

Efficiency tests Efficacy trials, as mentioned above, assess the effects of a test intervention in ideal conditions. It entails all test subjects consuming a predetermined amount of the fortified meal in the case of food fortification. Fortified foods have been demonstrated to improve micronutrient status in the vast majority of efficacy trials completed so far.

About I3TK

New Town in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, is home to the International Institute of Innovation & Technology (I3TK), a clinical research organization. I3TK is one of the primary forces behind promoting and putting into practice cutting-edge solutions to problems with public health.

I3TK is involved in food production and processing as part of its ongoing quest for decent public health. Fortified meals, organic energy drinks, vitamins, and nutraceuticals are some of I3T's current initiatives.