The production of provitamin A‐rich vegetables in home‐gardens as a means of addressing vitamin A deficiency in rural African communities

Vitamin A deficiency remains a public health problem in the developing world. The highest prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is in Africa and Asia (>30%). Dietary modification, a long‐term strategy to address vitamin A deficiency, complements food fortification and vitamin A supplementation programmes. Provitamin A carotenoids from foods of plant origin are more affordable than preformed vitamin A from animal foods, and many resource‐poor households rely on yellow/orange‐fleshed vegetables and fruits and dark‐green leafy vegetables as their main source of vitamin A. The provitamin A carotenoid content in plant foods varies widely and differences among cultivars of the same food exist. Several factors influence the bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoids. The potential contribution of plant foods to vitamin A status depends on the retention of provitamin A carotenoids after storage, preparation and processing. Home‐gardens can provide households with direct access to provitamin A‐rich vegetables that are not readily available or within their financial reach. The components and critical issues of home‐garden projects are described. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fortification by design: A rational approach to designing vitamin D delivery systems for foods and beverages

Over the past few decades, vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as a serious global public health challenge. The World Health Organization has recommended fortification of foods with vitamin D, but this is often challenging because of its low water solubility, poor chemical stability, and low bioavailability. Studies have shown that these challenges can be overcome by encapsulating vitamin D within well-designed delivery systems containing nanoscale or microscale particles. The characteristics of these particles, such as their composition, size, structure, interfacial properties, and charge, can be controlled to attain desired functionality for specific applications. Recently, there has been great interest in the design, production, and application of vitamin-D loaded delivery systems. Many of the delivery systems reported in the literature are unsuitable for widespread application due to the complexity and high costs of the processing operations required to fabricate them, or because they are incompatible with food matrices. In this article, the concept of “fortification by design” is introduced, which involves a systematic approach to the design, production, and testing of colloidal delivery systems for the encapsulation and fortification of oil-soluble vitamins, using vitamin D as a model. Initially, the challenges associated with the incorporation of vitamin D into foods and beverages are reviewed. The fortification by design concept is then described, which involves several steps: (i) selection of appropriate vitamin D form; (ii) selection of appropriate food matrix; (iii) identification of appropriate delivery system; (iv) identification of appropriate production method; (vii) establishment of appropriate testing procedures; and (viii) system optimization.     

Assessment of the ED-XRF technique to quantify mineral elements in nonlyophilised milk and cheese

The interest in analytical methods that accurately measure or predict the elemental profile of dairy foods has been steadily rising. The purpose of this study was to assess the robustness of the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) technique for the prediction of mineral elements in milk and cheese, avoiding any sample preparation steps. Results highlighted relatively low accuracy of the ED-XRF technique for the quantification of milk mineral elements, with coefficients of determination in validation ($R_v^2$) from 0.03 (magnesium) to 0.39 (phosphorus). Greater accuracies were obtained for the quantification of cheese minerals, with $R_v^2$ from 0.26 (sodium) to 0.69 (calcium).     

Beta‐cryptoxanthin as a source of vitamin A

Beta‐cryptoxanthin is a common carotenoid that is found in fruit, and in human blood and tissues. Foods that are rich in beta‐cryptoxanthin include tangerines, persimmons and oranges. Beta‐cryptoxanthin has several functions that are important for human health, including roles in antioxidant defense and cell‐to‐cell communication. Most importantly, beta‐cryptoxanthin is a precursor of vitamin A, which is an essential nutrient needed for eyesight, growth, development and immune response. We evaluate the evidence for beta‐cryptoxanthin as a vitamin A‐forming carotenoid in this paper. Observational, in vitro, animal model and human studies suggest that beta‐cryptoxanthin has greater bioavailability from its common food sources than do alpha‐ and beta‐carotene from theirs. Although beta‐cryptoxanthin appears to be a poorer substrate for beta‐carotene 15,15′ oxygenase than is beta‐carotene, animal model and human studies suggest that the comparatively high bioavailability of beta‐cryptoxanthin from foods makes beta‐cryptoxanthin‐rich foods equivalent to beta‐carotene‐rich foods as sources of vitamin A. These results mean that beta‐cryptoxanthin‐rich foods are probably better sources of vitamin A, and more important for human health in general, than previously assumed. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

VD强化及其稳定性研究进展

近年来,国内外VD缺乏的现象越来越受到人们的重视。本文对目前VD的补充、强化、强化载体以及在强化载体中的稳定性方面的研究进展作一综述,以期为加强我国VD强化食品研发力度和增加VD的有效摄入量提供一定的参考。     

Delivery of oral doses of vitamin a to prevent vitamin a deficiency and nutritional blindness

Abstract

Approximately 8 to 10 million new cases of xerophthalmia due to vitamin A deficiency occur each year, with as many as ½ to 1 million children developing potentially blinding corneal disease. While vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness among children in developing countries, even milder states of deficiency carry an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, making its prevention a major public health priority. Three basic preventive strategies exist: (1) dietary modification through a variety of horticultural and nutrition education techniques to increase the routine availability and consumption of food sources of vitamin A, (2) fortification of a centrally processed, locally available and consumed food “vehicle” with vitamin A, and (3) periodic administration of a large dose of vitamin A to specific target groups in the community. This paper provides a critical review of the effectiveness of and challenges to management in implementing periodic, large‐dose vitamin A delivery. Current evidence indicates that programs that are well supervised and sustain at least 65% coverage of their “at risk” populations can expect to have a measurable impact on the occurrence of xerophthahnia among children in the community.     

A Quarter of a Century of Progress to Prevent Vitamin A Deficiency Through Supplementation

A quarter of century has passed since FRI published its first comprehensive review on vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and its prevention. At the time, the major impetus to prevent VAD was to reduce xerophthalmia in preschool children. Today, we have a broader understanding of the public health implications of VAD, with disorders including xerophthalmia, mortality, severe infection, and anemia in preschool children and pregnant women. While deficiency affects most developing countries, nearly half of all deficient children and women live in Southern Asia. Prevention has made substantial strides. High potency vitamin A supplementation (with 200,000 IU) remains a prophylactic mainstay, delivered through fixed facilities, enhanced outreach activities, and national child health day campaigns twice annually. Surprisingly, the costs of semi-annual delivery of vitamin A have changed little over the years, with new cost estimates remaining comparable to earlier figures of US ～$0.50 per child per year. Emerging is the potential to reduce infant mortality by ～20% in Southern Asia by giving a single, oral, 50,000 IU dose of vitamin A to newborns. While ～500 million vitamin A capsules are routinely distributed worldwide each year to achieve effective control, progress has been slower with efforts to improve diet on a purposeful global public health scale. Future advances through effective dietary diversification and various means of food fortification will be required before periodic supplementation can be phased down as a major population strategy for controlling vitamin A deficiency.     

Influence of dietary spices – Black pepper,red pepper and ginger on the uptake of β-carotene by rat intestines

In view of the wide-spread deficiency of vitamin A in populations dependent on plant foods, it is desirable to improve bioavailability of β-carotene. Specific dietary spices may alter the ultrastructure and permeability characteristics of intestines. Few common spices were studied here for their possible influence on intestinal absorption of β-carotene by examining its uptake by the intestines from rats fed black pepper, red pepper, ginger, piperine and capsaicin. Higher in vitro absorption of β-carotene in the intestines was evidenced in all spice-fed animals. Dietary piperine and ginger increased the uptake of β-carotene by 147% and 98%, respectively. While increase in absorption was 59% and 27% in black pepper and red pepper fed animals, respectively, dietary capsaicin increased the same by 50%. Thus, significantly enhanced intestinal uptake of β-carotene as a result of consumption of pungent spices was evidenced, which could form a food based strategy to possibly reduce vitamin A deficiency.     

Lactic acid fermentation as a tool for increasing the folate content of foods

Folate is an essential micronutrient involved in numerous vital biological reactions. The dietary consumption of naturally occurring vitamin B9 is often inadequate in many countries, and supplementation or fortification programs (using synthetic folic acid) are implemented to alleviate folate deficiency. Other food-based alternatives are possible, such as the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to synthesize folate during fermentation. Many studies have been conducted on this topic, and promising results were reported for some fermented dairy products. However, in other studies, folate consumption by LAB or rather low folate production were observed, resulting in fermented foods that may not significantly contribute to the recommended B9 intake. In addition, the optimum conditions for folate biosynthesis by LAB are still not clear. The aim of this review was thus to (i) clarify the ability of LAB to produce folate in food products, (ii) check if the production of folate by LAB in various fermented foods is sufficient to meet human vitamin B9 requirements and (iii) suggest ways to optimize folate production by LAB in fermented food products.     

Iron bioavailability in iron-fortified cereal foods: The contribution of in vitro studies

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in humans. Not all dietary ingested iron, heme or nonheme, will be available to absorption and negative imbalance between iron requirements and absorption leads to iron deficiency and/or anemia. The recommended iron values usually are based on the genetic and on diet iron-bioavailability, which can be considered as the principal factor that change among the cultures and influences the distinct levels of recommendation among countries. Dietary changes present practical limitations due to be difficult to change food habits. The iron food fortification is considered more cost effective and economically more attractive than iron supplementation. There are many iron compounds available to be used in iron fortification. Cereals represent a target food group to iron fortification programs due to high consumption and the in vitro studies can be useful to estimate the relative iron bioavailability in large number of products in short time and with a low cost. Wheat flour baked into bread or not was the main product tested in in vitro bioavailability studies and ferrous sulfate was the principal iron compound used in the fortification studies. However, iron bioavailability from ferrous sulfate is lower than from other compounds, such FeNaEDTA or ferric pyrophosphate. The variables level of fortification, storage, level of extraction, baking and also the association or not with other chemical compound seems to influence the results obtained.     

Bioavailability of iron and zinc from multiple micronutrient fortified beverage premixes in Caco-2 cell model

Abstract: Iron and zinc deficiencies are the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies worldwide. They often coexist as the dietary factors, especially phytate, which impairs iron absorption also affects zinc absorption. Therefore, suitable strategies are required to control multiple micronutrient deficiencies in populations that subsist on high‐phytate foods such as the whole wheat flour based Indian bread (chapatti). The objective of the study, therefore, was to test the bioavailability of iron and zinc in 2 multiple micronutrient beverage premixes in the absence and presence of chapatti. The premix‐1 contained iron, zinc, and vitamin A while premix‐2 contained all micronutrients in premix‐1, plus folic acid and ascorbic acid. Ferritin induction and ⁶⁵Zn uptake were assessed using coupled in vitro digestion/Caco‐2 cell line model as the surrogate markers of iron and zinc bioavailability, respectively. The results show that iron bioavailability from premixes‐1 and 2 was similar in the absence of chapatti. However, premix‐2 showed significantly higher iron bioavailability compared to premix‐1 in the presence of chapatti. In contrast, the zinc uptake was similar from both premixes‐1 and 2 in the absence or presence of chapatti. These results suggest that both the premixes provide bioavailable minerals, but premix‐2 appears to be promising in the presence of foods that have high phytate.     

Top Food Sources Contributing to Vitamin D Intake and the Association of Ready-to-Eat Cereal and Breakfast Consumption Habits to Vitamin D Intake in Canadians and United States Americans

Abstract: This study aimed to determine dietary vitamin D intake of U.S. Americans and Canadians and contributions of food sources to total vitamin D intake. Total of 7‐ or 14‐d food intake data were analyzed for vitamin D by a proprietary nutrient assessment methodology that utilized food intake data from the Natl. Eating Trends^® service, portion size data from NHANES 1999–2004, and nutrient values using the Univ. of Minnesota's Nutrition Data System for Research software. Study participants were 7837 U.S. Americans and 4025 Canadians, ≥2‐y‐old males and females. The main outcome measures were total dietary vitamin D intake, percent contribution of foods to total vitamin D intake, and vitamin D intake by cereal and breakfast consumption habits. ANOVA was used to determine differences in means or proportions by age and gender and according to breakfast consumption habits. Mean vitamin D intake ranged from 152 to 220 IU/d. Less than 2% of participants in all age groups from the United States and Canada met the 2011 Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D from foods. Milk, meat, and fish were the top food sources for vitamin D for both Americans and Canadians. Ready‐to‐eat (RTE) cereal was a top 10 source of vitamin D for Americans but not Canadians. Vitamin D intake was higher with more frequent RTE cereal and breakfast consumption in both countries, largely attributable to greater milk intake. Practical Application: Most U.S. Americans and Canadians do not meet the 2011 Inst. of Medicine recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D for their age groups from foods. Increasing breakfast and cereal consumption may be a useful strategy to increase dietary vitamin D intake to help individuals meet the RDA for vitamin D, particularly by increasing milk intake. However, it is likely that additional food fortification or vitamin D supplementation is required to achieve the RDA.     

Production of maize–bambara groundnut complementary foods fortified pre‐fermentation with processed foods rich in calcium,iron, zinc and provitamin A

BACKGROUND: Maize–bambara groundnut complementary foods are deficient in calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A. Food‐to‐food fortification could be cheaper, safer and more easily adopted by local communities compared to the use of chemically pure compounds and vitamins to enrich such foods. RESULTS: Maize–bambara groundnut complementary foods fortified for iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin A by blending with a multi‐mix (1.41:1:2.25, w/w) of processed roselle calyces, cattle bones, and red palm oil in a 1:2.1 (w/w) ratio showed significant increases in calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A contents of 3.26–4.225, 0.083–0.134 and 0.015–0.017 g kg^?1 and 4855.3–7493.7 µgRE kg^?1, respectively. CONCLUSION: The maize–bambara groundnut foods had calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A contents that satisfy the proposed nutrient requirements for infants. Only the maize–bambara groundnut and maize–bambara groundnut malt fermented by backslopping [(MB)_b and (MB_m)_b] containing red palm oil emulsified with Brachystegia eurycoma had calcium contents significantly (P < 0.05) higher than Nutrend, a complementary food produced by Nestle (Nigeria) PLC. These products are from raw materials produced in commercial quantities by rural farmers using household level technologies which the rural and urban poor can more easily access in order to reduce micronutrient malnutrition. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Dietary Folate in a Changing Environment: Bioavailability, Fortification, and Requirements

ABSTRACT: The US and several other countries have instituted mandatory inclusion of folic acid in many enriched cereal grain products, and certain other countries allow optional addition. Nutritional surveys in the US now indicate that folate deficiency is infrequent, and vitamin B12 status is often a primary determinant of plasma homocysteine concentration. Thus, the current situation in the US is markedly different from that of the pre-fortification era and from countries that do not allow the addition of folic acid to foods. Recent analytical studies have indicated that food composition databases may underestimate naturally occurring folate, although folate intakes calculated from database values have allowed accurate ranking of intakes among population groups in many epidemiological studies. Published analyses of cereal grain foods in the US indicate that added folic acid exceeds intended ranges. Studies comparing folate nutritional status in the US before and after fortification indicate that the fortification program has contributed about 200 micrograms of folic acid to the average person per day. This increment is twice that predicted due, in part, to a greater than anticipated intake as well as the higher bioavailability of folic acid than most naturally occurring forms of food folate. More precise information is needed regarding the actual difference in bioavailability between natural folate and added folic acid.     

Folate: A Functional Food Constituent

ABSTRACT:  Folate, a water-soluble vitamin, includes naturally occurring food folate and synthetic folic acid in supplements and fortified foods. Mammalian cells cannot synthesize folate and its deficiency has been implicated in a wide variety of disorders. A number of reviews have dwelt up on the health benefits associated with increased folate intakes and many countries possess mandatory folate enrichment programs. Lately, a number of studies have shown that high intakes of folic acid, the chemically synthesized form, but not natural folates, can cause adverse effects in some individuals such as the masking of the hematological manifestations of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, leukemia, arthritis, bowel cancer, and ectopic pregnancies. As fermented milk products are reported to contain even higher amounts of folate produced by the food-grade bacteria, primarily lactic acid bacteria (LAB), the focus has primarily shifted toward the natural folate, that is, folate produced by LAB and levels of folate present in foods fermented by/or containing these valuable microorganisms. The proper selection and use of folate-producing microorganisms is an interesting strategy to increase "natural" folate levels in foods. An attempt has been made through this review to share information available in the literature on wide ranging aspects of folate, namely, bioavailability, analysis, deficiency, dietary requirements, and health effects of synthetic and natural folate, dairy and nondairy products as a potential source of folate, microorganisms with special reference to  Streptococcus thermophilus  as prolific folate producer, and recent insight on modulation of folate production levels in LAB by metabolic engineering.     

Incorporation of Mg and Ca into nanostructured Fe2O3 improves Fe solubility in dilute acid and sensory characteristics in foods

Iron deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. Food fortification can be an effective and sustainable strategy to reduce Fe deficiency but selection of iron fortificants remains a challenge. Water-soluble compounds, for example, FeSO(4), usually demonstrate high bioavailability but they often cause unacceptable sensory changes in foods. On the other hand, poorly acid-soluble Fe compounds, for example FePO(4), may cause fewer adverse sensory changes in foods but are usually not well bioavailable since they need to be dissolved in the stomach prior to absorption. The solubility and the bioavailability of poorly acid-soluble Fe compounds can be improved by decreasing their primary particle size and thereby increasing their specific surface area. Here, Fe oxide-based nanostructured compounds with added Mg or Ca were produced by scalable flame aerosol technology. The compounds were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Fe solubility in dilute acid. Sensory properties of the Fe-based compounds were tested in 2 highly reactive, polyphenol-rich food matrices: chocolate milk and fruit yoghurt. The Fe solubility of nanostructured Fe(2)O(3) doped with Mg or Ca was higher than that of pure Fe(2)O(3). Since good solubility in dilute acid was obtained despite the inhomogeneity of the powders, inexpensive precursors, for example Fe- and Ca-nitrates, can be used for their manufacture. Adding Mg or Ca lightened powder color, while sensory changes when added to foods were less pronounced than for FeSO(4). The combination of high Fe solubility and low reactivity in foods makes these flame-made nanostructured compounds promising for food fortification. Practical Application: The nanostructured iron-containing compounds presented here may prove useful for iron fortification of certain foods; they are highly soluble in dilute acid and likely to be well absorbed in the gut but cause less severe color changes than FeSO(4) when added to difficult-to-fortify foods.     

Food technology of the antioxidant nutrients

The evidence that the antioxidant nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta‐carotene) may play a much more important role in our health and well being is growing rapidly. The knowledge gained by the nutritionists and biochemists will ultimately require a technical transformation to achieve successful application in foods. The physical and chemical properties of these compounds require specialized forms and techniques that must be matched to the particular food and its method of production. These properties make the application of these nutrients in foods a challenge for the food scientist. This presentation covers the practical aspects of adding these nutrients to various foods and describes some examples of how these nutrients can be applied.     

维生素B12的研究进展

本文对维生素B12的吸收与代谢、缺乏原因及疾病、营养水平鉴定、人群维生素B12营养状况、食物强化的研究进展进行了综述,以期提高对维生素B12的认识和重视、为解决维生素B12缺乏人群的健康问题提供参考。     

Vitamin Fortification of Fluid Milk

Vitamin concentrates with vitamins A and D are used for fortification of fluid milk. Although many of the degradation components of vitamins A and D have an important role in flavor/fragrance applications, they may also be source(s) of off‐flavor(s) in vitamin fortified milk due to their heat, oxygen, and the light sensitivity. It is very important for the dairy industry to understand how vitamin concentrates can impact flavor and flavor stability of fluid milk. Currently, little research on vitamin degradation products can be found with respect to flavor contributions. In this review, the history, regulations, processing, and storage stability of vitamins in fluid milk are addressed along with some hypotheses for the role of vitamin A and D fortification on flavor and stability of fluid milk.