**5.1 Food fortification basic principles**

Fortification is the process of supplementing food with needed nutrients for their health benefits and in order to prevent diseases as defined by the Codex General Principles [20].

Fortification levels differ from one nation to another according to different factors. These factors include the dimension of enrichment, the bioavailability of

**85**

of the items [23].

population

*Nutritional Considerations of Vitamin D Deficiency and Strategies of Food Fortification*

the fortificants, and the range of fortified consumed foods. Fortification can be achieved by adding a single nutrient (such as the addition of iodine to the salt), or

The general medical advantages of fortification include the following [20]:

• Achieving the health benefits of a nutrient (for example, there is some proof to recommend that a diet full in selected antioxidants may aid in preventing

In order to prevent or defend rickets, humans usually used one teaspoon of cod liver oil daily (1 teaspoon has 10 μg = 400 IU of vitamin D). Vitamin D food fortification started in the 1940s in the US and other nations such as Britain. In the beginning, vitamin D was supplemented to milk and then to other foods and beverages. However, in the 1950s, events of hypercalcemia appeared, and an adjustment was done for fortifying foods with vitamin D. As a result of that, few side effects of hypercalcemia had been seen in newborn children in the former German Democratic Republic, where babies were enriched with discontinuous portions of 15 mg (600,000 IU) of vitamin D as a push to defend rickets. In these newborns,

Various techniques for fortification of foods with vitamin D were accomplished.

In a study done for the evaluation of fortifying cheddar cheese with vitamin D methods, vitamin D3 was supplemented by: addition of a water-soluble emulsion, crystalline liposoluble vitamin D, or water-soluble vitamin D multilamellar liposomes [21]. Results showed better recovery of vitamin D3 in liposomes than that in homogenized cream and water-dissolved emulsions. Similar results were shown in commercial water and fat-soluble types of vitamin D3 in delivering an evenly

Vitamin D3 was fortified into a cheddar-like matrix, yogurt, or dessert in either a crystalline or an emulsified structure. The emulsified structure was more stable in cheddar over a three-month storage period at 4°C, with roughly 6% of the crystalline vitamin D3 lost under these conditions, while the two types of vitamin D3 were stable in yogurt and dessert with storage for the normal shelf life

serum 25(OH)D levels increased to a few hundred nmol/L [17].

dispersed concentration of vitamin D3 in prepared cheddar [22].

**5.4 Data required for determination of vitamin D fortification levels**

3.The recent vitamin D levels in the country

Vitamin D fortification levels determination requires the following [24]:

1.Survey about the quality of the diet and amount of ingested nutrient in a target

2.Average sun exposure adequacy in accomplishing vitamin D adequate levels

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89612*

• Prevention of micronutrient deficiency

• Correction of a micronutrient deficiency

cancer and different disorders.)

**5.2 Vitamin D fortification history**

**5.3 Vitamin D3 fortification forms**

by adding a blend of nutrients [20].

the fortificants, and the range of fortified consumed foods. Fortification can be achieved by adding a single nutrient (such as the addition of iodine to the salt), or by adding a blend of nutrients [20].

The general medical advantages of fortification include the following [20]:

