A vitamin, mineral, fatty acid, or amino acid required for normalbody functioning that either cannot be synthesized by the body at all, or cannot be synthesized in amounts adequate for good health, and thus must be obtained from a dietary source. Other food components, such as dietary fiber, while not essential, also are considered to be nutrients.
The addition of specific nutrients (i.e., iron, thiamin, riboflavin, andniacin) to refined grain products in order to replace losses of the nutrients that occur during processing. Enrichment of refined grains is not mandatory; however, those that are labeled as enriched (e.g., enriched flour) must meet the standard of identity for enrichment set by the FDA. When cereal grains are labeled as enriched, it is mandatory that they be fortified with folicacid. (The addition of specific nutrients to whole-grain products is referred to as fortification.)