fortification

• fortification is where nutrients are added to a food
• fortification improves the nutritional value of foods
• fortification is done for different reasons -sometimes its to replace nutrients lost during processing, or to add extra nutrients to make a food more nutrient rich
• white flour:

  • iron, thiamin, niacin and calcium are lost during the production of white flour
  • by law, these nutrients have to be added back in - they arent added to wholemeal flour because the nutrients are naturally present
• breakfast cereals:

  • cereals can be fortified with iron, thiamin and folic acid
  • cereal is eaten by lots of people - if manufacturers choose to fortify their products, it helps the population get the recommended amounts of these nutrients
• butter alternatives:

  • many people use butter alternatives eg margarine
  • butter naturally contains vitamins a and d - by fortifying butter alternatives, consumers dont miss out on these important vitamins
  • margarine and low fat spreads are usually fortified on a voluntary basis by manufacturers
• cholesterol lowering spreads:

  • some vegetable fat spreads have added plant sterols
  • these substances help reduce cholesterol for people with high cholesterol only - they dont benefit people with normal cholesterol levels
• manufacturers may fortify processed foods as a marketing tool - it can give the impression that their products are healthy
• you should be careful eating excessive amounts of fortified foods - you may get too much of some vitamins or minerals in your diet
• multivitamin supplements are full of vitamins and minerals your body needs - theyre useful if you dont get enough from your notmal diet but should not replace a healthy, balanced diet
• multivitamin supplements are more useful for certain people such as elderly adults and pregnant women
• multivitamin supplements may not make any difference for most people and taking too many could be harmful to your health