22 Differences between ‘Food Fortification’ and ‘Supplementation’

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Food fortification and supplementation are methods or techniques used to improve the nutritional status of people. These techniques are used to mitigate ‘hidden hunger’ i.e. micro-nutrient deficiency in the people/beneficiaries.

Both of these techniques have their own advantages and limitations in different contexts. Let’s have a look at the major differences between food fortification and food supplementation.

22 differences between ‘Food Fortification’ and ‘Food Supplementation’ are:

      Food Fortification

           Food Supplementation

“The process whereby nutrients are added to foods to maintain or improve the quality of the diet of a group, a community or a population.”  WHO Food supplementation refers to supplementing/providing concentrated sources of nutrients (i.e. mineral and vitamins) or other substances that is meant to supplement nutrients in the diet
Fortification refers to the addition of vitamins or minerals to the foods in order to increase its nutritional quality Supplementation refers to supplementing specific vitamins, minerals or other nutrients to the people in order to address their nutritional deficiency
Fortified foods usually contain added vitamins, minerals or both Supplementation usually include specific supplement at a time
It is the addition of micro-nutrients to the food It involves direct micro-nutrient supplementation to the targeted person
Food fortification is targeted for large proportion of population Supplementation is targeted for small/selective proportion of population
Food fortification is done to prevent nutritional deficiency or improve the nutritional status of the people Food supplementation are intended to correct nutritional deficiencies.
Food fortification is a food-based strategy Supplementation is non-food-based strategy
It is done for medium to long term It is done for short to medium term
It is given to the population with mild or moderate risk of nutritional deficiency It is given to the population with high risk of nutritional deficiency
Food fortification is usually done in staple foods so that it will be regularly consumed by the people Food supplementation does not require staple food as it is given directly to the targeted audience
Fortification is considered as a long-term intervention measure Supplementation is considered as a short-term intervention measure
It is a regular and continuous process for a long period of time Supplementation is either one-time or periodic or involves regular intake of supplements for a limited period of time
It primarily improves the nutritional value of the food It does not involve the process of improving nutritional value of the food as it given directly to the targeted beneficiaries.
It does not have immediate impact on the nutritional status or functional outcome of the person It has immediate impact on the nutritional status or functional outcome of the person
The purpose of food fortification is to fortify the normal diet with low dose of additional nutrients The purpose of food supplementation is to supplement the normal diet with concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances
Fortification does not include highly concentrated form of nutrient/s Supplementation includes highly concentrated form of nutrient/s
Some common examples of food fortification are:  iodine fortification in salt, iron fortification in wheat, Vitamin A in flour, and home fortification of complementary foods with MNPs Some common examples of food supplementation are: vitamin A supplementation to children of 6-59 months, iron supplementation to pregnant and lactating women, zinc in management of diarrhea etc.
The cost of fortified food is low The cost of supplementation is relatively high
Foods selected for fortification should be those foods which are consumed by the majority of population Food supplementation does not necessitate consumption by majority of population
Food fortification does not require any behavioral modification or compliance of fortified foods Food supplementation requires behavioral modification or compliance
Overdose of nutrients is unlikely Higher chances of overdose of nutrients, if taken in more than recommended quantity
Food fortification is relatively difficult process because it should ensure about the stability of added nutrients, appropriate interaction of added nutrient with the other available nutrients, no change in physical properties of the food etc. Food fortification is relatively easy process as it does not involve mixture/interaction of nutrients.

References and for More Information:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/faqs/faqs-fortification.html

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_difference_between_food_fortification_and_food_supplementation

https://www.elsevier.com/books/food-fortification-and-supplementation/berry-ottaway/978-1-84569-144-8

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692722/

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/the-role-of-fortification-and-supplementation-in-mitigating-the-hiddenhunger-2155-9600-1000459.php?aid=67079

https://www.nestlenutrition-institute.org/resources/videos/details/the-case-of-iron-supplementation-vs-fortification-

https://www.bmz.de/en/zentrales_downloadarchiv/themen_und_schwerpunkte/ernaehrung/food_fortification.pdf

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-food-fortification-and-food-enrichment

https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-value-of-foods/what-difference-enriched-fortified-foods

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/101/6/1163/4564589

https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/6/1/124/4558005

https://www.scienceworld.ca/blog/what%E2%80%99s-difference-between-%E2%80%9Cenriched%E2%80%9D-and-%E2%80%9Cfortified%E2%80%9D-foods

https://mmm.fi/en/food-and-agriculture/food/food-fortification-and-food-supplements

https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-018-0385-3

https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/guide_food_fortification_micronutrients.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/labelling_nutrition-supplements-responses-inc_bv_en.pdf

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/223/htm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9781845691448/food-fortification-and-supplementation

https://www.nature.com/articles/1601803

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/folic-acid/

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/dangers-fortified-foods-supplements-11621.html

https://www.consumerreports.org/diet-nutrition/why-fortified-foods-and-supplements-are-risky/

About Kusum Wagle 215 Articles
Hello and greetings everyone! I am Kusum Wagle, MPH, WHO-TDR Scholar, BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh. I have gained profound experiences in public health sector under different thematic areas of health, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and newborn health, research etc., targeting diverse audience of different age groups. I have performed diverse roles ranging from lecturer in the public health department of colleges, nutrition coordinator, research coordinator and consultant, in different programs, projects and academic institutions of Nepal. I also hold immense experience in working closely and persistently with government organizations, non-government organizations, UN agencies, CSOs and other stakeholders at the national and sub-national level. I have successfully led and coordinated different projects involving multi-sector participation and engagement. Moreover, I am also regularly involved in the development of different national health related programs and its guidelines.