Fortified Foods as Vehicles of Dietary Antioxidant Vitamins
摘要
This chapter provides an in-depth examination of the effects of food processing on antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, and β-carotene, so chosen because of their critical roles in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disorders and various types of cancers. The text delves into the necessity of food fortification as a response to these degradative changes, exploring various methods of fortification, including genetic engineering, mechanical, and chemical techniques to maintain or enhance the nutritional value of food products, highlighting the nuances and efficacies of each method in different food matrices. The chapter further discusses the storage conditions, stabilities, and bioavailability aspects of the antioxidant vitamin-fortified foods, addressing concerns regarding vitamin toxicity and hypervitaminosis that may arise from consuming these food products. It emphasizes the importance of optimizing packaging and storage conditions to preserve the efficacies of the fortificant vitamins in the fortified food products. The chapter addresses whether vitamin-fortified foods can be classified as “functional foods,” which provide health benefits beyond essential nutrition.