The significance of food fortification

Food fortification receive comprehensive and reasonable nutrition at all stages of growth and development and under all conditions of work, to meet the normal needs of human physiology, life and work, and to maintain and improve human health.

(i) Making up for the deficiencies of natural foods and making them nutritionally balanced

Due to the dietary habits of people in different countries, the varieties of food harvested in different regions and the limitations of production and living standards, it is seldom possible to include all the nutrients in the daily diet and there are often certain nutritional defects. According to nutritional surveys, there is a general lack of vitamin B2 everywhere, vitamin B1 in areas where refined white rice and white flour are consumed, vitamin C deficiency is often present in areas where fruit and vegetables are scarce, and iodine is often lacking in the interior. These problems can be reduced and prevented and the human body strengthened if they are addressed in a targeted manner through nutritional fortification in the local basic diet.

(ii) Compensating for nutrient losses and maintaining the natural nutritional properties of food

Food products often lose certain nutrients during processing, storage and transportation. For example, a considerable proportion of vitamin B1 has been lost in refined white flour, and the same raw material has different nutrient losses due to different processing methods. In actual production, food losses during processing should be minimised.

(iii) Simplify meal handling and increase convenience

Since natural single foods can only supply certain nutrients required by the human body, people have to consume many types of food at the same time in order to obtain the full range of nutritional needs, which makes recipes more extensive and meal handling more complex. The use of food fortification can overcome these complex dietary processes.

(iv) Adapting to the needs of special occupations

The military and staff working in mines, high and low temperatures and certain occupational diseases require special food with high energy and nutrition due to the special working conditions. Each type of work has special needs for certain nutrients. These fortified foods are therefore extremely important and are gradually becoming more widely used.

(v) Other implications of fortification

Certain fortification agents can improve the organoleptic quality of foods and improve their shelf life. For example, vitamin E, lecithin and vitamin C are both major fortifying agents in foods and good antioxidants.