Fortification Of Foods Flashcards
(5 cards)
Meaning of fortification
Meaning the addition of nutrients to a food product.
Either to increase the amounts of nutrients that are naturally in a food or to add other nutrients to a food that don’t naturally occur in it. Sometimes called supplementation.
What do food manufacturers do in relation to fortification??!?!
They may sometimes modify the nutrient profile of food products so they meet the current dietary guidelines e.g. increasing fibre intake and reducing sugar. Or to provide benefits such as lowering blood cholesterol through increasing soluble fibre in a food.
Fortification of food is strictly controlled by law. Some foods are fortified by law:
Vegetable fat spreads and low fat spreads- Vitamins A and D
All types of wheat flour, except wholemeal flour- Iron, thiamine and calcium
What are food manufacturers not allowed to say or suggest?
That their nutritionally modified or fortified food products can prevent, treat or cure a disease. But they can say that their products can provide a health benefit like maintaining healthy bones
As the processing of some foods can result in nutrient instability and loss, there are also several ways nutrients can be added to foods to compensate for this including:
Enrichment- the addition of a nutrient or nutrients that would naturally occur in a specific food. Up to a maximum level that’s defined by food legislation
Restoration- the addition of a nutrient or nutrients to a specific food in order to restore it to the natural quantity expected of the food
Standardisation- nutrient levels of foods vary, standardisation of foods is the addition of a nutrient or nutrients to a consistent level to compensate for variations
