LONG TERM FOOD FORTIFICATION PROGRAM; RISKS AND BENEFITS AND USEFUL BIOMARKERS TO EVALUATE

Fortification is the process of adding special amount of some nutrients to edible products. It is more than fifteen years that flour fortification program started as a public health program in Iran. It should be noted that, salt fortification was started in 1992 when iodine was mandatory added to salt to reduce the incidence of endemic goiter in some part of the country. In flour fortification program in Iran 3 mg of Iron as Ferrous-sulfate is added to each 100 gr of flour. After about 10 years of flour fortification, Second National Integrated Micronutrient Survey results showed considerable improvement of Iron deficiency anemia in different age and sex groups in Iran. Flour fortification with iron was used to correct or prevent widespread iron deficiency in many countries but, at the beginning of the program there is many concern about extra intake of nutrients (especially Iron) which added to flour. Although nutritionist believe that there is risk of inadequate nutrients intake in the diet, there is a risk of excess intake of nutrients when the distance of the values of EAR and UL which are representative for an adequate and excessive intake is relatively small for some nutrients.Over the past century, food fortification programs had special role at reducing the risk of many diseases. However, specialist’s idea is very different from when fortification emerged in the 1920s in USA. Although early fortification programs were designed to eliminate nutritional deficiency with special amount of nutrients, current food fortification programs are based on low dietary intakes rather than a diagnosable condition. The aim of this survey is to gather enough information about the risks and benefits and useful biomarkers to evaluate of food fortification.