Fortification of Sugar: A Call for Action

Abstract

The insufficiency of nutrients in man’s diet has led to an increase in food fortification in recent times. Sugar, a commodity widely consumed globally and used in the production of a wide variety of products, has been found to be a suitable vehicle for food fortification. This study is a review of literature published on the subject of sugar fortification that has spanned over five decades now. The study discusses the various types of nutrients, fortificants, and techniques that have been used or could be used to fortify sugar in relation to the need of various regions in the world. It was observed that other nutrients have not been successfully adopted for fortification, as vitamin A. Fortification using iodine, iron, and thiamine has been performed on sugar either on a laboratory scale or in a factory pilot phase. Other nutrients such as vitamins B, C, D, folic acid, calcium, and zinc could still be introduced into sugar. In a bid to minimize the loss of the fortificants in the molasses, it was observed that the fortificants are best introduced after the sugar has left the centrifuge during processing, before it is bagged. Future prospects were also given in the study based on the observed knowledge gaps to ensure maximum usage and application of sugar as a "vehicle" for fortification.