Introduce
Nicotinic Acid, also known as niacin or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin. Niacin has several applications in the food sector. The following are the major applications of Niacin in the food sector:
Food additives: niacin can be used as a food additive to increase the vitamin B3 content of foods. Vitamin B3 plays important metabolic roles in the body, including energy conversion, fat synthesis and DNA repair. Adding niacin to foods can provide a nutritional boost of vitamin B3.
Flour fortification: Niacin is often used as a flour fortifier to improve the nutritional value of flour. In some countries, niacin is one of the nutrients mandatorily added to flour to prevent vitamin B3 deficiencies such as pellagra (brown skin disease).
Feed additives: Niacin is also widely used as an additive to animal feed. It can be added to feed to provide the vitamin B3 needed by animals to promote growth and health.
Niacin can also be ingested through sources in the food itself, such as meat, fish, whole grains, legumes and nuts. In addition, niacin can also be synthesised into forms such as Nicotinamide or Nicotinamide Riboside, which are marketed as nutritional supplements.
