Flour fortification: Dry vitamin A withstands the rigors of intense food processing

Finding a new solution to vitamin A deficiency (VAD), dsm-firmenich has launched Dry Vitamin A Palmitate NI – a new form of dry vitamin A. The product is a stable, clean label solution for combating widespread nutrient deficiency through flour fortification.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) remains a critical global health issue, affecting 190 million preschool children and 19 million pregnant women, and is one of the three most important nutritional deficiencies worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).¹ VAD can cause growth and development deficits in children, loss of vision and increased risk of infection, and also has the potential to enhance risk factors for cognitive impairment and mental illness.¹

Current fortification efforts face challenges as vitamin A is the most unstable vitamin and is therefore difficult to preserve during food fortification and storage. In addition, the harsh processes of hulling and milling, which occur before wheat flour fortification, strip grains of their natural vitamins and minerals.

dsm-firmenich’s dry vitamin A form addresses these challenges with its enhanced stability formulation. Designed to withstand the rigors of food processing while maintaining nutritional potency, this solution is particularly well-suited for fortifying wheat flour – a global staple that provides 20% of the calories consumed worldwide, and up to 50% in some regions.²

Stabilized with all-rac-alpha tocopherol and sodium ascorbate, this BHA/BHT-free formulation boasts a small particle size – with a minimum of 90% of particles passing through sieve No. 60 (250μm). As a result, the new dry vitamin A form supports widespread distribution of this essential nutrient through integration into wheat and other types of flour – an affordable and accessible food source that can potentially reach millions of vulnerable individuals globally to help fight malnutrition.

Yannick Foing, Vice President of Nutrition Improvement at dsm-firmenich, stated: "Our new dry vitamin A form exemplifies dsm-firmenich’s commitment to essential and equitable nutrition. Over the last two and a half years, our R&D and formulation teams have led a truly collaborative project, supported by experts from intellectual property, regulatory affairs, production and product management, working tirelessly to overcome complex technical challenges while meeting strict industry standards such as USDA stability testing and US Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph requirements. The result is a stable, clean-label solution optimized for flour fortification, with a particle size tailored for seamless integration into existing food production processes. This innovation not only meets industry and regulatory standards but also advances our mission to reduce the nutrient gap for 800 million people by 2030, representing a significant step towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger, by improving access to nutritious food globally.”

dsm-firmenich’s new form of dry vitamin A is now available globally.

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¹ World Health Organization, "Global Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency in Populations at Risk 1995–2005: WHO Global Database on Vitamin A Deficiency" (Geneva: World Health Organization, 2009).

² World Health Organization, "Global Database on the Implementation of Nutrition Action (GINA)" (Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017).