Is it Safe to Consume Fortified Food

09.08.18 06:30 AM - Comment(s) - By Admin

With the changing lifestyle, food pattern, and food habits, the quality of the food that we eat is also changing. Along with the major nutrients in the diet, micronutrients and other essential trace elements are also important for complete well being. Lack of micronutrients like zinc, iron, Iodine, etc. can lead to "hidden hunger,'' which can cause health issues and increase the chances of getting affected by different diseases.

For good health, it is imperative to take a balanced diet. The issue is that the food we get today may not contain all the essential nutrients. In such a condition, one way of improving the nutritional value of a food product is by adding nutrients (read Vitamins & Minerals) to it externally.

Food Fortification

Food fortification is the process of enhancing the nutritional value of food by adding Vitamins and minerals externally, in small amounts, and also in the correct proportion, to meet the health needs with minimal risk. Staple foods like wheat, rice, sugar, salt, milk, etc. are the most common foods that are fortified. This is because the more widely consumed a food product is, the larger the number of people who will get benefit by consuming a fortified version of it.

The very first fortification took place in the 1920s in America in salt. The common salt was fortified with Iodine to prevent a disease known as ''goiter,'' which takes place because of a lack of Iodine in the body. In India, fortification is taking place since the 1950s. One of the first known fortified food products introduced in India was the Vanaspati Ghee (Dalda), fortified with Vitamin A.

Types of food fortification

Commercial fortification

It is the kind of fortification done at the industrial level while processing food products. It is either done based on Govt. mandate (like to add Iodine to salt) or to enrich the food with the nutrients that are lost during the processing of food (example nutritional loss converting wheat into flour into bread). The process of food fortification in industries is regulated and has to meet the benchmarks set up by the country.

Biofortification

It is the kind of fortification done at the plant's level. The aim is to increase the nutritional value of food present within a crop while it is growing (pre-harvest). Genetic Engineering or genetically modifying crops is one way of achieving biofortification.

For example golden rice - it contains beta-carotene which gives it a golden color and contains vitamin, A lack of which can cause night blindness

Fortified Banana Fruit (using GM techniques)

Advantages & Limitations of food fortification

Advantages

Not everyone eats a balanced diet. People from economically weaker sections of society do not consume fruits, dairy, or other costly sources of nutrients. Due to religious or ethical beliefs, many do not consume animal products. Due to inadequate diet, millions of people lack one or the other element required by the body.

Food fortification is a cost-effective technique, using which proper nutrition can be made accessible to masses. It can also help in reducing the incidence of malnutrition-related deaths in children, preventing diseases like goiter, and meeting the increased iron demand in pregnant women.

Limitations

Though there are many advantages, there are a few limitations of food fortification too. Food is generally fortified with one (or at most a few) nutrients at a time. A person suffering from multiple nutrient deficiencies will not be able to get all elemental needs fulfilled with a single food at a time. Also, one should have proper knowledge of which nutrients to be added to the food, and in what amounts. An overdose of the nutrient may lead to nutrient toxicity in people who already have a sufficient quantity of that nutrient and ingest more through fortified food.