Biofortified foods are foods with higher nutritional quality due to the selection of better quality seeds for cultivation, so they are not genetically modified foods, but a better quality crop only manipulated in the laboratory in order to select richer seeds.
Foods are richer in iron, zinc and vitamin A. The concept involves enriching some of the most consumed foods and thus reduce some nutritional deficiencies without changing the habits of the population.
Biofortified Products
4.5 mcg beta-carotene / gram | 9 mcg beta-carotene / gram |
10 mcg beta-carotene / gram | 115 mcg beta-carotene / gram |
30 mcg of Iron and 30 mcg of zinc | 40 mcg of iron and 40 mcg of zinc / kg of whole wheat |
50 mg of iron and 40 mg of zinc / kg test | 77 mg of iron and 53 mg of zinc / kg of product |
Only traces of beta-carotene | 9 mcg beta-carotene / gram |
50 mg of iron and 30 mg of zinc / kg | 90 mg of iron and 50 mg of zinc / kg |
12 mg of zinc and 2 mg of iron / kg of polished white rice | 18 mg of zinc and 4 mg of iron / kg of polished white rice |
Biofortified crop
The biofortified cultivation is based on the analysis and selection of seeds of foods that are richest in certain micronutrients, besides guaranteeing greater productivity, resistance to droughts and also to pests.
Biofortified food cultivation was primarily created to reduce malnutrition. This project was coordinated by Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation.