Why do food processors fortify animal products?

Fortification and enrichment are terms used to describe the addition of nutrients to foods but are two separate concepts. Enrichment refers to the restoration of nutrients lost during the handling, processing, or storage of foods, and levels are generally based on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards of identity. Fortification refers to the voluntary addition of nutrients at levels beyond those naturally occurring in the food.

Globally, the decision to fortify products is left up to individual food manufacturers. Voluntary fortification is a common practice in many countries. Additionally, 50 countries including the United States, Canada, and Australia require mandatory fortification of certain staple foods with specific nutrient(s) to improve public health, such as the fortification of enriched flour with folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects, and restrict the fortification of foods with certain nutrients such as vitamin D.

The indiscriminate addition of nutrients to foods and the fortification of fresh produce; meat, poultry, or fish products; is not allowed by the U.S. government and fortification of unprocessed foods is prohibited in European countries. This is meant to help consumers understand the nutritional value of foods from each food group. Also fortification of some types of foods such as sugars and some snack foods (e.g., candies and Carbonated Beverages) is discouraged, so that consumers are not encouraged to choose fortified foods that are inconsistent with achieving dietary guidelines.

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