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Ingredients that add fortification to F&B products

Monday, 15 December, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]

Dr Murari Lal Soni

Food fortification is the well-established practice of deliberately adding essential micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, trace elements) to food or beverage products in order to improve their nutritional value and address public health micronutrient deficiencies. It is widely recognised (by organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)) as an evidence-informed, cost-effective intervention to reduce hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiency) at a population level. Fortificants are added either to staple foods, condiments or beverages, or to finished products, so that consumption is integrated into daily diet. The fortified ingredients must be chosen carefully: they must be stable during processing, not adversely affect sensory qualities (taste, colour, texture), and remain bioavailable to the consumers.

Categories of fortification ingredients
Here, fortification ingredients are grouped by type and function, with examples.

1. Vitamins
Vitamins are among the most common fortificants in foods and beverages. Many of them are water-soluble (e.g. B complex, vitamin C) or fat-soluble (A, D, E, K).

A. Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamin A: often added as retinyl esters (retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate) or as provitamin A carotenoids (e.g. ß-carotene). These forms are used depending on the food matrix (oil, flour, dairy). Vitamin D: fortification in dairy, oils, or other suitable vehicles to improve vitamin D status and support calcium metabolism. Vitamin E: tocopherol or tocopherol esters are used; vitamin E also can help stability or antioxidant function in fortified products.

B. Water-soluble vitamins / B-complex / vitamin C

B vitamins: such as thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid, B12 and riboflavin. These are often added in flours, cereals, or beverages. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid or its salts): used especially in beverages, fruit juices, dairy drinks, cereals, to both fortify vitamin C and sometimes improve the bioavailability of minerals (e.g. iron).

2. Minerals and Trace Elements
Minerals are another key category of fortificants. They include macro minerals and trace minerals/trace elements. The choice of compound (salt, chelate, encapsulated form) is critical for stability and bioavailability.

Some examples:

Iron: Widely used to combat anaemia and iron deficiency. Multiple forms are used depending on the food matrix -e.g. ferrous sulphate, ferrous fumarate, elemental iron, or chelated / encapsulated forms.
Iodine: Commonly added to salt (iodised salt) or condiments to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (goitre, thyroid disorders). This is a classic example of fortification via a simple condiment.
Zinc, calcium: Used especially in staples, dairy or beverages or cereal products to address deficiencies. Calcium is often used in beverages (milk / non-dairy drinks) or cereals; zinc is used especially where populations show deficiency.
Other trace elements: E.g. selenium, though not always widely used in large-scale fortification depending on region.

3. Other Ingredients
In addition to pure vitamins and minerals, other functional ingredients may be added to finished foods or beverages to provide fortification benefits, such as:

Carotenoids or phytonutrients: E.g. ß-carotene (provitamin A), or other carotenoids (lutein, lycopene) to deliver provitamin activity or antioxidant capacity. These may also impart colour or functional benefits.
Amino acids or protein fortification: For example, in beverages or nutritional drinks, adding essential amino acids or protein isolates to increase nutritional value.
Dietary fibre, prebiotics: Though not micronutrients, some ingredients are used to fortify finished products with fibre or prebiotic carbohydrates to enhance nutrition or functional benefits.
Microencapsulated nutrients: Certain vitamins/minerals are encapsulated to protect from heat, light or oxidation, enabling them to survive processing or storage until consumption.

Technical considerations in incorporation of fortification ingredients
When designing fortified finished products or beverages, developers must consider many technical constraints, which influence the choice of specific ingredient and formulation approaches.

1. Stability
Many vitamins are sensitive to heat, light, oxygen, moisture, or pH. For example, vitamin A is susceptible to degradation in presence of moisture above certain thresholds or during frequent heating cycles. Encapsulation (coating or beadlets) is often used to protect sensitive nutrients. For instance, retinyl esters or other vitamins may be encapsulated to impart moisture or oxygen barrier.

2. Bioavailability
The compound chosen should be bioavailable in the human digestive system. Some mineral forms may interact with other food components, reducing absorption (e.g. phytate in cereals reducing zinc or iron absorption). The choice of chelates or improved iron compounds (e.g. NaFeEDTA) helps improve iron bioavailability in cereal matrices (e.g. vitamin C enhancing iron absorption).

3. Sensory and organoleptic effects
The fortificant must not change taste, colour, texture, or aroma in a way that is unacceptable to consumers. E.g. some iron salts can cause off-flavours or darkening. In cereal flours, elemental iron powders may cause slight darkening; but other forms are chosen to avoid perceptible changes. B vitamins sometimes cause colour changes: riboflavin or folic acid at high levels can impart yellowish tinge; product developers adjust formulation or choose forms with minimal colour impact.

4. Uniform distribution & processing
Fortificants must be homogeneously mixed within the food matrix so that each serving has the intended micronutrient content. This is especially important in large-scale production.

5. Regulatory and safety limits
There are regulatory standards in many countries that define what nutrients must or can be added, at what levels. Many countries have mandatory fortification of staples (e.g. wheat flour, maize flour, rice, salt) with specific micronutrients (iron, iodine, folic acid and so on). Fortification must not exceed upper safe limits, to avoid risk of over-fortification and toxicity.

Common Carriers / Vehicles in finished foods and beverages

To effectively deliver fortification in finished products or beverages, certain base ingredients or product categories serve as carriers. These are selected based on consumption patterns, stability, and production feasibility.

Carrier / Product Type	Rationale for Use in Fortified Finished Foods / Beverages
Staple cereals and flours	Refined or whole flour (wheat, maize) are widely consumed. These are often processed in centralised mills, so adding fortificant at milling stage ensures wide coverage.
Beverages	Beverages (fruit juices, dairy or non-dairy drinks) are good vehicles especially for water-soluble vitamins (e.g. vitamin C, B complex) or minerals; also, fortification can help meet daily micronutrient intake in a convenient format.
Dairy / dairy alternatives	Milk or milk beverages can be fortified with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D) or minerals such as calcium. Because milk is an emulsion or dispersion, fortificants need to be compatible with the matrix.
Ready-to-eat cereal/ breakfast products	Breakfast cereals often are fortified with B vitamins, iron, vitamin D and so on, since they are consumed regularly.
Condiments	Salt is a classic vehicle (iodised salt). Also, double-fortified salt (iron + iodine) is used in some programmes.
Infants / complementary foods	Specialised complementary food products or powders for children are fortified with multiple vitamins, minerals, amino acids, to meet growth needs.

Future Prospects
The future of food fortification is poised for significant advancement as scientific innovation, consumer awareness, and regulatory frameworks continue to evolve. With increasing global emphasis on addressing micronutrient deficiencies and promoting preventive health, fortified foods and beverages are expected to become a standard rather than an exception. Emerging technologies such as nanoencapsulation, microemulsion systems, and biofortification through genetic engineering offer promising avenues for enhancing nutrient stability, bioavailability, and sensory compatibility.

Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics in food formulation is expected to revolutionise the design of fortified products by enabling precision nutrition tailored to specific demographic or health needs. The growing demand for clean-label and plant-based products will also drive research toward the use of natural fortificants derived from botanical sources, marine extracts, and fermented ingredients.

(The author is technical officer - Quality Assurance Laboratory, M.P. Council of Science and Technology, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal)