Difficulties Associated with Fortification of Bakery Products

Fortification is the process of adding certain bioactive or functional ingredients to a bakery product to increase its nutritional and therapeutic value.

FREMONT, CA: When bakers incorporate any of these nutrients into batters or doughs, they may meet a variety of difficulties. Dosage, dispersion, bioavailability, and sensory characteristics are all areas of interest. Specific vitamins, such as vitamin B2, might alter the product's color. Others, such as vitamin B1, are significantly heat-sensitive and suffer significant losses during baking. Vitamins, in general, are susceptible to the stresses associated with the manufacturing of bakery products, such as heat, humidity, and oxygen. This indicates that vitamins may experience a loss of activity. Overages might be added to compensate for activity losses. Because minerals occur in various forms or compounds, it's critical to choose the ones most suited for a particular purpose. Additionally, nutrients may be encapsulated to postpone or eliminate interactions. To mask off-notes, masking flavors may be necessary.

Numerous vitamins and minerals can present distinct difficulties such as off-notes in flavor, alterations in solubility, or color changes. For example, potassium is a mineral that relatively few people in the United States get enough of, yet adding it to foods in the form of potassium chloride imparts a metallic flavor. Masking is most effective when done in collaboration with a flavor team that understands the source of the off-note rather than using generic masking methods. Formulators might consider using pre-mixed nutrients to ensure uniformity and quality and ease the process of adding and tracking nutrients. Scaling a pre-mix can be accomplished at a more macro level than is necessary for each nutrient. This structure facilitates the dispersion of even the tiniest of elements. Individual vitamins and minerals added via a pre-mix rather than individually ensure easier handling and a greater capacity to integrate and disseminate substances, resulting in a superior finished product. When just trace amounts of specific vitamins and minerals are employed, ensuring their distribution is uniform can be challenging. Pre-mixes can also help reduce costs and increase efficiency, as multiple ingredients are substituted with a single pre-mix. The supplier is responsible for assuring the stability and bioavailability of individual nutrients in a pre-mix. The shelf life of the least stable component defines the pre-expiration mix's date. Because the different elements are frequently required in trace levels, obtaining the optimum dosage in the flour is challenging. Pre-mixes contain all constituents in the proper proportions and can be diluted with carriers to achieve greater homogeneity and a reasonable dosage level.

The Institute of Medicine's tolerable upper intake level might help establish the safe limits for adding essential nutrients to food. For example, the Recommended Dietary Allowance for iron is 10 milligrams per day for children aged 4 to 8. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for iron is 40 milligrams per day for the same age group, which is just four times the daily requirement. Formulators must consider the total amount of nutrients obtained from all sources in the diet. Given that children may consume various iron-fortified foods in a single day, one should formulate the fortification levels accordingly.

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all strategy for fortification. The mixture of ingredients in a completed product should not adversely affect its taste, texture, stability, or shelf life, emphasizing the importance of pre-mix tailoring.

Nutrients should be provided in moderation to avoid overconsumption. Overages are not recommended, as a little too much in a bit of body is a lot.