Fortified foods have added vitamins and minerals to strengthen them, while enriched foods replace nutrients lost during processing. Poor nutrition can cause health problems, and fortified foods help provide necessary nutrients, especially in countries with high poverty rates. Many fortified foods have multiple nutrients added, and they are believed to benefit people in various ways, such as increased mental capacity in children.
Fortified foods are items to which vitamins and minerals not added in nature have been added. The purpose of fortification is to strengthen the foods people eat. There are also foods on the market that are enriched. People often confuse them with fortified foods, but there’s a big difference.
Enrichment is done because a lot of what people eat isn’t fresh or in its natural form. Food processing often destroys vitamins and minerals. To repair the damage, food is sometimes enriched. This means that vitamins and minerals that have been destroyed are replaced after processing. The nutrients that are added to fortified foods are generally not found in foods that have been fortified, even if they haven’t been processed.
Foods are fortified because a lack of proper nutrients can cause a variety of health problems. Children who don’t eat properly are often underweight and have stunted growth. Adults who don’t eat right tend to be more susceptible to disease and less productive than their peers who are adequately nourished. Complications can also occur with pregnancies if the mother and unborn child lack certain nutrients.
In some cases, poor nutrition is the result of insufficient income. In other cases, it is the result of poor eating habits. Fortified foods help provide people in both cases with the necessary nutrients.
In countries with high poverty rates, people tend to eat the same basic items over and over. Many governments have taken note of the most commonly consumed foods and have decided that those items should be fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. These staple foods often include cornmeal, bread flour, and milk.
Many fortified foods have been fortified with more than one nutrient. Because some people’s diets are very limited, it is necessary to pack many vitamins and minerals into one element to ensure that those people avoid deficiencies. Iron, zinc and folic acid are examples of minerals that are added to foods. Vitamin A, riboflavin and thiamine are examples of vitamins that are commonly added.
Fortified foods are believed to benefit people in many ways. These elements can empower workers to work harder and longer. Children who generally have a poor diet but start eating fortified foods are believed to perform better in school due to increased mental capacity.
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