Food fortification Food fortification is the process of adding micronutrients (essential trace elements and<unk> s) to food as a public health policy which aims to reduce the number of people with dietary deficiencies within a population. Staple foods of a region can lack particular nutrients due to the soil of the region or from inherent inadequacy of a normal diet. Addition of micronutrients to staples and condiments can prevent large-scale deficiency diseases in these cases. As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), fortification refers to "the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e.,<unk> s and minerals in a food irrespective of whether the nutrients were originally in the food before processing or not, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and to provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health", whereas enrichment is defined as "synonymous with fortification and refers to the addition of micronutrients to a food which are lost during processing". The Food Fortification Initiative lists all countries in the world that conduct fortification programs, and within each country, what nutrients are added to which foods.<unk>  fortification programs exist in one or more countries for folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin,<unk>  A,<unk>  B6,<unk>  B12,<unk>  D and<unk>  E. As of 21 December 2018, 81 countries required food fortification with one or more<unk> s. The most commonly fortified<unk>  – as used in 62 countries – is folate; the most commonly fortified food is wheat flour. Genetic engineering Starting in 2000, rice was experimentally genetically engineered to produce higher than normal beta-carotene content, giving it a yellow/orange color. The product is referred to as golden rice (Oryza sativa). Biofortified sweet potato, maize, and cassava were other crops introduced to enhance the content of beta-carotene and certain minerals. When eaten, beta-carotene is a provitamin, converted to retinol<unk>  A). The concept is that in areas of the world where<unk>  A deficiency is common, growing and eating this rice would reduce the rates of<unk>  A deficiency, particularly its effect on childhood vision problems. As of 2018, fortified golden crops were still in the process of government approvals, and were being assessed for taste and education about their health benefits to improve acceptance and adoption by consumers in impoverished countries.
Vitamin deficiency
Mineral deficiency
Chromium deficiency
Copper deficiency
Metal toxicity
Boron deficiency 
Psychogenic disease
Fluorine deficiency