Fortification of vegetable oils

Fat soluble micronutrients can be added to oil, i.e. vitamins A, D, E, and K. WFP recommends to add 30,000 IU vitamin A/kg and 3,000 IU vitamin D/kg.

Adding the fortificant in the vegetable oil

Mixing liquids with liquids is relatively easy, a container (e.g. a big tank) can be used to put oil (e.g. by pump) and to mix the correct quantity of vitamin mix in it by rotary stainless mixer or the tank can be equiped with a screw or blade adapted to liquid mixing.

Fortificant losses during storage:

Studies demonstrated that after 18 months of storage in dark sealed containers losses of more than half of the vitamin content were experienced.

When storage was not carried out in the dark, most of the vitamin content was lost after 6 months. Packaging of the fortified oil in opaque containers was therefore demonstrated to be a critical consideration.

Vitamin A fortified oil showed good vitamin retention after 5 months of storage in sealed metal containers at high temperature and humidity (Combs et al., 1994).