Miller Magazine Issue: 115 July 2019

58 COVER STORY MILLER / JULY 2019 the UK suffers from an alarming vitamin D deficiency, a theoretical model calculation was carried out to show how the health status of the population would change if both milk (up to a maximum of 70 μg/l) and bread (100 μg/kg flour) were to be fortified. On the basis of existing data it was possible to prove that vitamin D de- ficiency would fall from 93 to 50 percent in the groups at risk. Since the evaluation also showed that flour was more effective than milk, the team led by the nutrition scientist Dr Rachel Allen favoured the cereal rather than the dairy product. “The fortification of flour with vita- min D is to be recommended as an option for reliably improving the intake of vitamin D by the population”, was the conclusion reached by the study. A Finnish study at the University of Helsinki demon- strated how quickly the vitamin D level in the blood can be raised by increased administration. For three weeks, four groups tested the effect of wheat or rye bread fortified with 120 μg of vitamin D per kilogram of bread. The result left no room for doubt: all the participants who consumed an extra portion of vita- min D through the fortified bread were found to have a significantly higher serum level of vitamin D. Only in the control group, that had been given conventional wheat bread, did the value remain unchanged. “The fortification of bread is therefore a practical means of raising the vitamin D status of all sections of the population. Moreover, the risk of overdosing can be practically excluded, since bread is only consumed in limited amounts”: this was the conclusion reached by the Finnish researchers. According to the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), five states have now responded to these requirements and introduced mandatory regulations on the fortifi- cation of flour with vitamin D. “Saudi Arabia, Oman, Palestine, Jordan and Kuwait are absolute pioneers in this field, says Sarah Zimmerman from the FFI, wel- coming such commitment in the Middle East. The pre- scribed amounts vary between 0.013 and 0.015 ppm vitamin D, depending on regional eating habits. Mühlenchemie tests stability and baking properties Vitamin D occurs in the form of different chemical compounds. For flour fortification, Vitamin D3 (chole- calciferol) is used – a particularly stable and effective form that can be stored in the human body longer than vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), for example. For many years, Mühlenchemie has been one of the most prominent suppliers of high-quality vitamin and mineral premixes. Following an increasing number of inquiries from customers on the subject of vitamin Consumers welcome a vitamin D boost Vitamin D fortification in the milling and bak- ing industries is still a niche market. But more and more food manufacturers are taking the subject up – not least in the wake of the “veggie boom”. Proof that an attractive unique selling proposi- tion can be achieved with vitamin-enriched bak- ery products has been given by the British retail chain Marks and Spencer. Since 2015, a large pro- portion of the wrapped loaves and bread rolls has been enhanced with an extra portion of vitamin D. This measure was preceded by a survey carried out with some 2,500 consumers, 70 percent of whom were in favour of fortifying foods with vi- tamins in order to achieve the recommended daily intake. It is true that the vitamin D used by Marks and Spencer does not come from fortified flour but from a special baking yeast that produces large amounts of this micronutrient. But the promo- tional effectiveness is obvious: the vitamin D coup is advertised plainly on every pack.