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fortification

for-ti-fi-KAY-shun /ˌfɔːrtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

nounC1IELTSTOEFL

technicalhealth

The practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient in a food.

Usually refers to adding nutrients that were never there to begin with (e.g., Vitamin D in milk).

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'fortis' (strong) and 'facere' (to make). Just as a medieval city was 'fortified' with walls to make it strong against attack, food is 'fortified' with vitamins to make the human body strong against disease.

Word relationships

enrichment: Enrichment replaces lost nutrients; fortification adds new ones.

depletion: The loss of nutrients from a food source.

Commonly confused with

supplementation: Supplementation usually involves taking a pill or liquid; fortification involves adding the nutrient directly to the food supply.

Word family

fortify (verb): To strengthen or provide with defensive works.
fort (noun): A fortified building or strategic position.

Collocations

food fortification
mandatory fortification
nutritional fortification

Example sentences

"The fortification of salt with iodine has been one of the most successful public health interventions in history." Public health policy.
"Mandatory folic acid fortification of cereal grain products was introduced to reduce the risk of birth defects." Nutrition science. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Memory hook

FORT-ification makes your body a strong FORT-ress. Making food stronger.

When not to use

Do not confuse with 'enrichment', which replaces nutrients lost during processing.

Fun facts

Milk doesn't naturally contain much Vitamin D; it is almost always added through fortification.
In some countries, sugar is fortified with Vitamin A to combat blindness in children.