FORTIFICATION AND ENRICHMENT OF FOOD

Kratika Awasthi and M.S. Rajput Department of Biotechnology Dr. A.I.T.H., Kanpur- 208006, India Email:-kratika0411@gmail.com ABSTRACT

Food fortification or enrichment is the process of addition of micronutrient (essential trace elements and vitamins) to food, vitamins and minerals including trace element are added in a food whether the nutrients were originally present in the food before processing or not, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and to provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health. More than two billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies because they are not meeting their daily dietary requirements for essential vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies not only affect an individuals long term health but can also raise societal and public health care costs and potentially depress a nations economic productivity. Fortification means increasing the level of the essential nutrients to the food while enrichment is adding of those nutrients that were lost during the processing of the food. There are four ways by which food can be fortified which include Bio-fortification, Microbial Biofortification, Commercial or Industrial Fortification & Home Fortification. Some foods that are fortified include iodised salt, golden rice etc. Fortified foods are also used as a medicine called as neutraceuticals. There are certain limitation of food fortification as the nutrients are not bioavaliable to the consumer in certain cases like the addition of vitamin A and D to the skimmed milk, they are fat soluble and not dissolved in the absence of fat. Key Words: fortification,neutraceuticals,enrichment