Miller Magazine Issue: 124 April 2020

50 COVER STORY MILLER / APRIL 2020 destroys the innate nutrients that pre-exist in its natural state. Although grains are preloaded with certain essential nutrients, processing conditions such as heat disrupt the nu- tritional profile of the processed food product. Thus, there arises a clamant need to restore the lost nutrients. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), fortification is “the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, ie. vita- mins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food irre- spective of whether the nutrients were originally in the food before processing or not, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and to provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health”, whereas enrichment is defined as “synonymous with fortification and refers to the addition of micronutrients to a food which are lost during processing”. Fortification of flour offers multiple benefits to consum- ers, satisfying caloric requirements as well as alleviating the problem of hidden hunger. Fortification of wheat flour with vital micronutrients is believed to serve as an effective technique to counter the nutritional deficiencies faced by the global population. It is a cost-effective tool for reducing micronutrient deficiencies and prevent birth defects such as neural tube defects that occur due to folic acid deficiency. Vitamins B9, vitamin B12 and iron are the most preferred and commonly used micronutrients to fortify flour although a range of other micronutrients such as zinc, vitamin A, thia- mine, riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine may also be chosen. Vitamins are generally more sensitive to heat, light, oxi- dizing, and reducing agents as compared to minerals. The instability of micronutrients can be resolved by choosing the right forms of nutrients. An optimum overage is considered in certain cases to nullify the loss of nutrients during pro- cessing and storage. The physiochemical properties of the substrates may also affect the stability of the micronutrients. For instance, the moisture content of flour might affect the stability of min- erals like iron and zinc. Hence, depending on the nature of the food, the form of nutrients and their carrier are carefully chosen. In addition to adding micronutrients – a conventional technique that is used to cut down the ill effects of malnu- trition, the latest trend has been to combine the effective- ness of flour improvers and enzymes with the functional characteristics of micronutrient premixes – a blend of vita- mins and minerals. The physiochemical characteristics of wheat flour suits baking applications and hence serves as the most preferred form of flour. Although its natural properties compliment various aspects required for baking, baking industries are opting for certain flour additives that have the tendency to alter specific properties of the flour. These alterations en- hance the sensorial qualities of the end product. The additives are defined as flour improvers. Commonly used flour improvers include enzymes. The addition of en- zymes in wheat flour has several effects on the end prod- ucts such as enhanced raising of the dough, aiding better texture and porosity and improved shelf life due to an- ti-staling properties. Enzymes such as amylases play a pivotal role in improving the texture of the product. It breaks down complex sugar molecules into simple sugar units, enhancing the process of fermentation of the dough. In wheat flour, the main struc- tural protein called gluten is the key molecule behind the elastic properties of the flour. Proteases are enzymes that break down the protein molecules such as gluten, altering the textural properties of wheat flour to obtain the desired textural character. Certain other enzymes such as lipase and asparginase are also added to improve the qualities of wheat flour. The combination of enzymes and micronutrient premixes serves not only as a value addition to the nutritional profile but also refines the textural properties of the flour.