Vitamin enrichment, example

Seaweeds are a good source of some water- (Bj, B2, B,2, C) and fat-soluble (P-carotene with vitamin A activity, vitamin E) vitamins. To ensure that the adequate intake of all vitamins is received in the diet, people (especially peopleon specialdiet, strict vegetarians, and vegans) can consume foods enriched with vitamins, for example, in the form of functional foods with vitamins as nutraceuticals, extracted from natural sources such as seaweeds. Seaweed vitamins are important not only due to their biochemical functions and antioxidant activity but also due to other health benefits such as decreasing of blood pressure (vitamin C), prevention of cardiovascular diseases (P-carotene), or reducing the risk of cancer (vitamins E and C, carotenoids). 

Coextrusion is the process of extruding two or more materials simultaneously or in tandem. It allows a combination of an ingredient such as wheat flour, which is inexpensive and easily enriched with vitamins and minerals, with dairy protein, which provides functionality and texture. For example, an early coextrusion of wheat flour and rennet casein was performed by van de Voort et al. (1984), who obtained products with varying characteristics depending on process parameters. 

Although the man-made evaporators are technically feasible for water evaporation, they are generally only economically feasible when the dried sludge can be sold as fertilizer or used as vitamin- and protein-enriched animal feedstock. Such possibilities will depend on the market values, as well as the attitude of the pubhc to demand waste recycle and accept the associated environmental costs. More detailed evaporation process applications are discussed in Example 9 (Section 4.9). 

Hegsted and Stare (1954) point out that about ten amino acids out of a total of 22, a dozen or so vitamins, two or three fatty acids, and at least a dozen inorganic elements are essential in nutrition. All of these can now be supplied in pure form in the amounts needed. Even foods that are naturally deficient in certain nutrients are now enriched to make them better than nature s original product. For example, riboflavin is added to white bread in larger amounts than occur in whole-wheat bread. They state that there is, of course, no reason to believe that Nature endowed wheat with riboflavin in proportion to the needs of man. Likewise, vitamin D is added to milk to make it more satisfactory for human needs than the original product. 

A wide range of human studies has been conducted using enriched stable isotopes of nutrient minerals. Applications include the determination of the absorption and metabolism of iron, zinc, calcium, copper, selenium, and molybdenum. An example of the type of information that can be obtained is provided by a study of iron absorption from different weaning foods, and the effects of vitamin C on iron absorption. These measurements, conducted using enriched stable isotopes of Fe and Fe, demonstrated a doubling of iron absorption when a drink containing 50 mg of vitamin C was administered with the food. 

Potato extract, orange juice and yeast extract all stimulate the fermentation of glucose and acid production by propionic acid bacteria (Tatum et al., 1936). Stimulation by potato extract is associated with some essential growth factors. If synthetic medium is supplemented with yeast extract, then the addition of individual vitamins (biotin, pantothenate, thiamine or /7-aminobenzoic acid) is unnecessary (El-Hagarawy, 1957). In connection with the ability of P. shermanii to synthesize vitamins Karlin (1966) suggested to include these bacteria into dairy products. For example, kefir enriched with P. shermanii contained increased amounts of vitamin Bi, B2, Bg, PP, Bi2, pantothenate, folic and folinic acid as compared with control samples. Especially high increases in the latter four vitamins were observed. 

For example, 7-dehydrocholesterol is present in dairy products and fatty fish, and ergosterol is present in some vegetables. For this reason, all milk sold in the United States is enriched with vitamin D3, produced by shining ultraviolet light on the milk to convert 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D3. 

In the food industry, it is the addition of one or more nutrients—vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and/or protein concentrates—to a food thus raising its nutritive value. Enriched bread, and milk fortified with vitamin D, are probably the best well-known examples. Originally, the FDA differentiated between enrichment and fortification, but now the two terms are used interchangeably. 

It may be more expeditious at the community, state, or national levels to enrich and fortify foods of low nutrient quality with amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, than to try to supply foods which naturally contain the optimal quantities of nutrients. This is particularly applicable to situations where foods, which are rich in the desired nutrients, are rejected by the population to be fed. Lor example, there is a high rejection rate for broccoli, carrots, and other vegetable sources of vitamin A in the US. School Lunch Program. Therefore, food technologists have proposed the development of a snack food, like a potato chip, which would contain spinach powder and be fortified with minerals and vitamins. 

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