Researchers Question Health Canada’s Plan To Allow Fortification Of Junk Foods

Researchers warn that Canadian consumers may reduce their intake of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods if food products with low nutritional value are allowed to be fortified with vitamins and minerals. Health Canada has proposed the change, which the U.S. and Europe adopted in the early 1990s. According to the researchers, as concerns about obesity grow, fortifying questionable foods “is coming into question.” Many of the foods that would be fortifiable under the proposal are considered “foods to limit:” salty snacks, soft drinks, cakes and pastries, cookies, chocolate and candies, ice cream and fruit-flavored beverages. “Health Canada’s proposed discretionary fortification policy is at odds with national dietary recommendations,” the researchers wrote.