Why are "fortified" foods more likely to spoil than are unfortified foods?
◦ The vitamins require a neutral pH environment, which is suitable for many microbes.
◦ The addition of vitamins or minerals makes the food more nutritious for microbes as well as humans.
◦ Vitamins are added to "fortified" foods by adding the microbes that produce the vitamins to the food item.
◦ Every step of modification or manipulation of food increases the chance for contamination.
◦ The addition of nutrients creates an osmotic environment suitable for a wide range of microbes.