Summary

The numbers and types of fortified beverages are ever-increasing and include milk and milk drinks, chocolate (malt) beverages, meal replacers, slimming beverages, sports beverages, supplements for pregnancy and lactation, cereal drinks (cereal "milks"), fruit juices, and others. To have an appropriate impact on consumer health and nutrition, the development of such fortified beverages must be based on the dietary habits and nutritional requirements and status of the target consumer. The chemical form of the fortification micro-nutrients must be chosen to have maximal bioavailability while not producing unacceptable organoleptic changes. At normal fortification levels, mineral interactions generally do not lead to nutritionally significant decreases in mineral bioavailability. Micronutrient losses during processing and storage, especially losses of certain vitamins, must be quantified in order to determine the composition of vitamin and mineral premixes. Finally, effective fortification of foods and beverages can only be achieved if there is an appropriate quality control system.