dsm-firmenich, a global leader in nutrition, health, and wellness innovation, has unveiled its latest breakthrough in tackling the worldwide issue of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) with the launch of Dry Vitamin A Palmitate NI. This new form of dry vitamin A represents a significant advancement in nutrient fortification, offering a stable, clean-label solution designed specifically for flour fortification to combat widespread nutrient deficiency.
Vitamin A deficiency continues to be a pressing global health issue, affecting an alarming 190 million preschool children and 19 million pregnant women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), VAD is one of the three most critical nutritional deficiencies globally, causing developmental delays in children, impaired vision, and an increased risk of infections. It can also exacerbate cognitive impairment and mental health disorders, making it an urgent problem that requires innovative solutions.
While existing efforts to address VAD through food fortification have been underway for years, they face significant challenges, primarily due to the instability of vitamin A during food processing and storage. The nature of vitamin A makes it one of the most challenging nutrients to preserve during food fortification. The intense processes involved in grain milling and hulling, which typically precede wheat flour fortification, strip grains of essential vitamins and minerals, further complicating efforts to fortify food effectively.
In response to these challenges, dsm-firmenich’s new dry vitamin A form offers a highly stable, efficient solution tailored for fortifying wheat flour—a staple food for billions of people worldwide. Wheat flour accounts for 20% of daily caloric intake globally, and in some regions, it provides as much as 50% of total caloric consumption, making it an ideal vehicle for nutrient fortification.
The new Dry Vitamin A Palmitate NI formulation is stabilized with all-rac-alpha tocopherol and sodium ascorbate and is completely free of BHA and BHT, providing a cleaner and safer alternative for food manufacturers. It boasts a remarkably fine particle size, with over 90% of particles passing through sieve No. 60 (250 μm), ensuring ease of integration into existing food production processes. This innovation not only preserves the potency of vitamin A during production and storage but also enhances its distribution across a wide range of food products, particularly wheat and other types of flour.
Yannick Foing, Vice President of Nutrition Improvement at dsm-firmenich, emphasized the significance of this new dry vitamin A formulation as a pivotal step in the company’s ongoing commitment to addressing malnutrition globally. Over the past two and a half years, dsm-firmenich’s research and development teams, in collaboration with experts from intellectual property, regulatory affairs, production, and product management, have worked tirelessly to overcome the technical challenges associated with vitamin A fortification. Their efforts have resulted in a product that meets strict industry standards, including USDA stability testing and the US Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph requirements.
Foing highlighted that this innovation represents more than just a new product—it is a symbol of dsm-firmenich’s dedication to improving global access to essential nutrition, particularly for vulnerable populations. The goal is to reduce the nutrient gap for 800 million people by 2030, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. This innovative dry vitamin A form is now available globally, offering a promising new approach to large-scale food fortification that could transform the fight against malnutrition and improve the health of millions of people worldwide.
For more details about dsm-firmenich’s innovative Dry Vitamin A Palmitate NI and its potential to revolutionize global nutrition through large-scale food fortification, visit dsm-firmenich’s Health, Nutrition & Care division.