Last week, the Globe and Mail ran an article called "Cheese puffs, with added vitamin D', which discussed the potential Health Canada policy that would allow manufacturers to fortify certain foods as a method of increasing 'access to certain vitamins and minerals'. They went on to say that health experts believe that the 'move could exacerbate unhealthy eating habits'.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The fortification idea is not as uncommon and 'out there' as it would seem. Over ten years ago I visited the Philippines and learned that common food items, like WonderBread, were fortified with Beta-Carotene,  truly adding to the 'wonder'-ness of the bread-like product! Outrageous at first, upon reflection, it made sense that many of the foods were fortified as the practice could "boost long-term nutrition by creating successful food products". In fact, this was the same reason foods were initially fortified in the United States.                                                                                                                                                                           So, should we be happy knowing that Twinkies may be a source of Vitamin E or just as likely that  Dunkin' Donuts may be a high source of Niacin (Vit B3) , somewhere in the not-so-far future?                                                                                                                                                                      Before you answer, consider this: Many of us haphazardly throw away a considerable amount of money on our daily dose of the now-coveted ant-oxidant rich acai berry. (Enough money in fact, that we could pay down the debt of a small developing country.)                                                                                                                                                                      In reality, the majority of our population cannot afford, and would not consider eating organic just because the food is deemed healthier than it's pesticide-covered, well-traveled out-of-state cousin.                                                                                                                                                                           While not optimal when it comes to sources of vitamins and minerals, Cheese 'D'uffs would be viewed by some as a healthy alternative - again, only if the price equalled the cost of regular cheese puffs. As the word organic comes to symbolize not only non-chemical laden foods, but also trendy, high-priced yuppy staples, the fortification of some foods, may in fact help those that would otherwise not get the basics of many nutrients.                                                                                                                                                                         Is this a smart initiative? Perhaps not. Is it beneficial: maybe.                                                                                                                                                                     But the next time you buy that organic what-ever, consider people who find your choice to be frivolous, as they continue on their own merry way, on a bus, an hour each way, to work in a factory, bent over a machine, just to cover their rent, for themselves and their 3 children.                                                                                                                                                                                                The view can be very different from up on that high horse.