FOOD NUTRITION: ADDED NUTRIENTS
Diagram
Nutrients added where none were, and nutrients put back
Fortified foods
Foods with nutrients added that were never in the food, to prevent deficiency in the population.
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Enriched foods
Foods with nutrients added back to replace what processing removed, to restore the food to its original level.
Figure 1: Fortification adds nutrients that were never there, while enrichment restores nutrients lost in processing. Drawn in our own style from the food fortification and enrichment discussion in the vitamin and mineral chapters of Gropper et al., Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism.
Introduction
Fortified foods and enriched foods both have nutrients added, and the words are often used as if they meant the same thing, but the reason for adding is different. Fortification adds nutrients that were never in the food, or were present only in tiny amounts, to prevent deficiency in the people who eat it: vitamin D added to milk and iodine added to salt are fortification. Enrichment adds nutrients back to replace what processing removed, to restore the food to the level it had before processing: B vitamins and iron added back to refined flour are enrichment. One adds something new, the other puts back what was lost.
Quick comparison
Table 1: Fortified Foods compared with Enriched Foods
| Aspect | Fortified Foods | Enriched Foods |
|---|---|---|
| Why the nutrient is added | To prevent deficiency in the population | To replace what processing removed |
| Was the nutrient there before | No, or only in tiny amounts | Yes, it was there before processing |
| Level aimed for | A level that prevents deficiency | About the level the food had before processing |
| Examples | Vitamin D in milk, iodine in salt, vitamin A in oil | B vitamins and iron in refined flour, thiamin in white rice |
| Food changed | A food that never held the nutrient now holds it | A processed food is restored toward its original nutrient level |
| Reason for the loss | There is no loss, the nutrient was never there | Milling, refining or other processing removed it |
| Who benefits | People whose diet lacks the nutrient | People who eat the refined food instead of the whole food |
| Nutrients added | Any nutrient the population lacks | Only the nutrients that processing removed |
| In law and labelling | The books used here name the practice, not a legal definition, so no legal claim is made here | The books used here name the practice, not a legal definition, so no legal claim is made here |
| Source of the distinction | Gropper et al., in the vitamin and mineral chapters | Gropper et al., in the vitamin and mineral chapters |
Scientific explanation
Definition
A fortified food is a food to which nutrients have been added that were not originally present, or were present only in small amounts, to prevent deficiency. An enriched food is a food to which nutrients have been added back to replace those lost during processing, restoring the food toward its original nutrient level.
Working principle
Fortification starts from a public health need: a population lacks a nutrient, so the nutrient is added to a food that most people eat every day, such as milk or salt, in a measured amount. The food carries a nutrient it never held. Enrichment starts from processing: milling wheat into refined flour removes the bran and germ, and with them the B vitamins and iron, so those nutrients are added back to the flour. The food is restored to about the level it had before processing, not raised above it. The distinction is in the aim: fortification prevents deficiency, enrichment repairs a loss.
Apparatus
The books used here name no laboratory apparatus for measuring or comparing either term, so no apparatus list is given.
Measurement procedure
The books used here give no standard laboratory procedure with volumes and steps for either term, so no procedure is invented here.
Factors affecting readings
For both, the nutrient, the amount added and the food that carries it decide the effect: the carrier must be eaten often and in steady amounts, and the nutrient must survive storage and cooking. For enrichment, the processing decides what is lost and so what must be put back: the more the flour is refined, the more is lost. The books used here give no added amounts with numbers, so none are stated.
Formulas and calculations
The books used here give no formula for either term, so no formula is given here.
Industrial applications
- Fortified foods: milk with added vitamin D, to prevent deficiency in people with little sun.
- Fortified foods: salt with added iodine, to prevent iodine deficiency.
- Fortified foods: oil and margarine with added vitamin A, where the diet lacks it.
- Enriched foods: refined flour with B vitamins and iron added back after milling.
- Enriched foods: white rice with thiamin and other B vitamins restored after milling.
Advantages and limitations
- Fortified foods, advantage: they reach a whole population through a food eaten every day, and they prevent deficiency.
- Fortified foods, limitation: they add a nutrient the food never held, so the amount must be chosen with care and the carrier must be eaten widely.
- Enriched foods, advantage: they restore a processed food toward its original nutrient level, so refined flour is not as poor as it would be.
- Enriched foods, limitation: enrichment only puts back the nutrients that were lost, so enriched flour still lacks the fiber and other parts of the whole grain.
FAQ
What is the difference between fortified and enriched foods?
Fortification adds nutrients that were never in the food, to prevent deficiency, while enrichment restores nutrients lost in processing.
Is vitamin D milk fortified or enriched?
Fortified. Milk holds little vitamin D naturally, so vitamin D is added to prevent deficiency.
Is refined flour with added B vitamins fortified or enriched?
Enriched. Milling removed the B vitamins, so they are added back to restore the flour.
Is iodine in salt fortification?
Yes. Salt holds no iodine naturally, so iodine is added to prevent deficiency.
Does enrichment make refined flour as good as whole wheat flour?
No. Enrichment puts back the B vitamins and iron, but the fiber and other parts of the whole grain are still missing.
References and further reading
- Gropper, Sareen S., Jack L. Smith and Timothy P. Carr. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7th ed., Cengage, 2016, vitamin and mineral chapters (food fortification and enrichment).
- Note on the source: this topic rests on the chapter level discussion in Gropper et al. It was not verified in a dedicated search, and the books used here give no added amounts with numbers, so none are stated.
- Google Books pages read for this article:
- Gropper, Sareen S., Jack L. Smith and Timothy P. Carr. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7th ed., Cengage, 2016 (Google Books page read)
