**5.3 Fortified food**

"Food fortification" refers to the addition of nutrients at levels greater than those found in the original food. Enrichment is associated with fortification. The term "restoration" refers to the addition of nutrients to food to compensate for the nutrients lost during processing. Food fortification is usually done at the industrial level, but it can also be done at the household or group level [53].

Nutritional fortification is one of three approaches used to resolve public health problems of micronutrient deficiency. When designing a micronutrient fortification program, a variety of factors must be taken into account. Trends in global micronutrient deficiency, dietary patterns, production and marketing of potential food vehicles, government policies, and regulations are all factors to consider. A five-step procedure, which can be visualized as a linked loop, is usually followed when constructing a fortification intervention (**Figure 2**). The measures can be performed in any order or even simultaneously. The cycle will begin at a different stage depending on what relevant information is already available in the region or country [54].

**Figure 2.** *Fortification cycle.*

Although fortification has the potential to be a successful strategy, there is little evidence of its effectiveness in the developing world. Programs must monitor the direct impact of fortification on morbidity and mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 2 billion people are deficient in key vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A, iodine, iron, and zinc. The majority of these individuals are from developing countries, where multiple micronutrient deficiencies (MMN) are normal [53].

## **6. Functional food development**

From definition to effective consumer execution, functional food production includes several distinct phases. Consumers enthusiastically support food products with health claims attesting to a practical capacity to promote health beyond the provision of essential nutrients, which is likely to result in lower morbidity and mortality, as well as the improved overall quality of life in the general population [55].

The FDA's approval of qualifying health claims for many ingredients when used in specific quantities has aided the growth of the functional food industry and raised consumer awareness of nutraceutical ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, plant sterols, and soy protein. In the last decade, the number of functional food product releases with unique target health categories has increased. Gut health, cardiac health, immune function, bone health, and weight control have all been the subject of functional health statements [56].

For a successful product development process, a thorough understanding of the fundamental science of the heart, as well as a thorough understanding of the materials and processes available, is required. To create a cost-effective and tailormade suitable for its intended use (final food product), the final product shape (liquid or dry) and demand (size and value) must be defined at the outset. These variables may have a huge impact on the products, formulations, and methods available. This is the time to verify physical performance and characteristics, core stability, and possible interactions with other ingredients during the formulation and operation [57].

Functional foods have been developed in almost every food group. From the standpoint of a commodity, the functional property can be used in a variety of ways. According to a different classification, certain functional products "bring good to your life," such as improving normal stomach and colon functions (pre-and probiotics), or "improve children's lives," such as promoting their cognitive ability and providing a conducive learning environment. On the other hand, finding good biomarkers for cognitive, behavioral, and psychological functions is challenging. Another form of functional food is designed to assist people in managing a preexisting health condition, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. The third group includes items that "make your life easier" (for example, lactose-free and gluten-free products) [48].

The creation of indicators that could validate the effects of modern food ingredients and could be used during their protection evaluation is enabled by scientific knowledge of how particular Food ingredients have an influence on body processes that affect well-being and health [58]. The production of functional ingredients using cutting-edge food science and biochemical approaches will benefit consumers by improving their health and lowering their disease risk. These trials must be properly designed and carried out in order to provide empirical justification for the acceptance of health assurances and the effective modification of existing functional foods. The advancement of functional foods and their associated health

*Functional Foods and Human Health: An Overview DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99000*

benefits will be accompanied by advancements in food security, which will ensure the legitimacy of the claims and also the food's protection. Technology cannot be governed in and of itself, and practical food science only serves as the systematic foundation for these legislation [59].

A food that is useful may be a normal food, one with which a diet element has been inserted or one through which a part has been omitted for particular health purposes, one in which a material has been changed by technical or biochemical processes to have a particular health benefit, one where the bioactivity of a product has been changed, or a mixture of all of these [60].

While the words "nutraceutical" and "functional food" are widely used across the globe, there is no general agreement about what they mean. The following concepts have been suggested by the Bureau of Nutritional Sciences of Health Canada's Food Directorate: A functional food resembles or is related to a traditional food, is eaten as part of a daily diet, and has been found to have metabolic advantages and/or lower the risk of developing chronic diseases beyond specific dietary functions. Nutraceuticals are foods that have been found to provide biochemical effects that offer protection against a chronic illness that are marketed in powders, tablets, and other medical products not typically associated with fruit. A nutraceutical, a pharma food, or a nutritional supplement are obviously not the same thing as a functional meal. It is a substance, not a drug, and it has health benefits that are typically disease prevention rather than medicinal [61].
