In foods, enrichment refers to the addition of vitamins, minerals and/or protein to raise the nutritive value.
Because of the vital role vitamins and minerals play in the body’s processes, many foods are enriched or fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. Many foods have a diminished nutritive content as a result of loss in refining or processing and can benefit from the enrichment.
Also, some foods provide effective vehicles for distribution of a nutrient. Enrichment of cereal grain products with iron, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin has been a remarkably effective and efficient means of enhancing the nutrient quality of the food supply and is a classic example of an effective well-designed public health approach to providing needed nutrients.
Cereal grains were selected for enrichment because they are eaten frequently by virtually all populations groups.
The decision to fortify with a particular nutrient is a complex one. It starts with the realization that a significant number of people are not obtaining desirable levels of a specific nutrient and the determination that the food to be fortified makes an appreciable contribution to the diet.
It must be further ascertained that the fortification will:
*not result in an essential nutrient imbalance
*the nutrient is stable under storage
*capable of being absorbed from the food
*that toxicity from excessive intakes will generally not occur.
Food enrichments
