What is the cost of fortification?
Basic enrichment of flour and bread to comply with the standards of identity for enriched wheat flour and enriched white bread should cost less than 10 cents per 100 lbs. of flour. Higher levels of fortification for non-standardized bakery foods can cost as much as 2 cents per pound of bread. Extremely high levels of vitamins/minerals or blends containing dietary supplements such as phytochemicals or phytosterols can add 10 cents to 15 cents per pound of bread. But even at these levels, the premixes are a good investment because bakery foods containing them typically sell for 20 cents to 50 cents more than standard products. Are all vitamins and minerals created equally? No. There are vast differences. With minerals, the location they come from, and the degree of refining and purification, greatly influences their purity and the presence of undesirable heavy metals and other contaminants. The physical particle form of the mineral also influences the ease with which it is digested and a
