Fortification of Biscuits, Bread and Bakery Products
Biscuits fortification: Bread and bakery products fortification with iron, folic acid, and other vitamins, can help address micronutrient and malnutrition issues in the country.
Micronutrients play a pivotal role in achieving and maintaining optimal health across all life stages. Vitamins are essential nutrients for many body functions and are particularly important during growth as well as for certain vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, young children, and the elderly.
Biscuit fortification and bread fortification with multiple micronutrients were found to have a significant impact on nutrition among children. The nutritional fortification of bread and biscuit could provide an alternative fortified snack to help alleviate malnutrition in adults and children.
FORTIFICATION OF BISCUITS, BREAD AND BAKERY PRODUCTS
Fortification of the biscuit dough
During bread and bakery products fortification, minerals and vitamins are added to the dough at the creaming stage, or the wet stage of the dough-making step. Vitamins and minerals premixes are easier to mix at the liquid stage.
Fortification/ Fortificant losses during –Biscuit manufacturing/ processing
During biscuit fortification and bread fortification, the products undergo several changes.
- Average losses of vitamins: A >30%, D >30%, E – 40%, B1 >40%, B2 >30%, Niacin >20%, B6 >30%, B12 >30%, Folic acid >40%, C >40%.
- Average losses of minerals: 5%
- Soft-dough type of biscuit will lose 50% more B1, and B2 than the hard-dough type.
- Important amount of B1 is lost in the dough before baking, if the dough is kept a long time before being baked, up to 60% after a few hours. B1 is sensitive to high pH
Storage: More than 40% loss of vitamin C, and 50% loss of vitamin A on storage for 12 months, have been reported.
Improvements in the barrier properties (Oxygen, moisture, light, …) of plastics and laminates reduce the potential for the nutrient loss during storage.
Option 1:
Biscuits, Bread and other bakery items when fortified, shall contain added iron, folic acid and Vitamin B-12 at the level given in the table below
| Sl.No. | Nutrients/Source | Level of Fortification per 100 kcal |
| 1 | Iron (mg) | 0.5-1.0 |
| 2 | Folic acid (µg) | 2.5 -5 |
| 3 | Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0.025 -0.05 |
Option2:
In addition, Biscuits, bread and other bakery items may also be fortified with following micronutrients, singly or in combination, at the level in the table below, namely:-
| Sl.No. | Nutrients/Source | Level of Fortification per 100 kcal |
| 1 | Zinc (mg) | 0.3 -0.6 |
| 2 | Vitamin A (µg RE) | 15 -30 |
| 3 | Thiamine (Vitamin B1) (mg) | 0.04-0.08 |
| 4 | Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) (mg) | 0.04-0.08 |
| 5 | Niacin(Vitamin B3) (mg) | 0.05-1.0 |
| 6 | Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) (mg) | 0.05-0.1 |
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