Enrichment and fortification are the methods used to enhance the nutritional value of foods, although they differ in their approach and purposes. Enrichment involves restoring nutrients lost during food processing to their original levels, while Fortification goes a step further by adding nutrients that were either not originally present or present in insignificant amounts, aiming to address specific nutritional deficiencies in the population.
- ENRICHMENT
Enrichment means adding back nutrients to a food that were lost during processing. This process ensures the food regains its original nutrient levels.
It is done,
When foods like flour or rice are processed, nutrients like iron, B vitamins, and others are often removed. Enrichment helps to restore these nutrients. As, adding iron and B vitamins (like niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin) to white flour.
- FORTIFICATION
Fortification is the process of adding nutrients to a food that were not originally present or were present in small amounts. It aims to improve public health by filling nutritional gaps.
It is done,
To address nutrient deficiencies in a population and prevent diseases caused by a lack of specific nutrients, such as adding iodine to salt (to prevent goiter), adding vitamin D to milk (to prevent rickets), and fortifying breakfast cereals with iron, calcium, and folic acid.
These practices are important to
- Prevent Deficiency Diseases
- Improves Public Health
- Accessible Nutrition
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| Image: Illustration comparing enrichment and fortification in food. Source: Generated using OpenAI's DALL-E. |