Canada’s Updated Vitamin D Fortification Strategy Is Anticipated to Improve Vitamin D Intakes and Status Based on Modeling of National Data

BACKGROUND: Inadequate vitamin D status remains a public health concern in Canada. To help address this, Health Canada implemented an updated (2022-2024) vitamin D fortification strategy. The strategy increased the mandated amounts of vitamin D in cow's milk and margarine, supported higher voluntary fortification of plant-based beverages (PBB), and permitted voluntary fortification of yogurt/kefir. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to model the potential impact of recent vitamin D fortification measures on vitamin D intakes and status among people living in Canada. METHODS: Usual intakes (UI) from the cross-sectional 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition (n = 19,369, ≥1 y) were modeled using National Cancer Institute methodology and increased amounts of vitamin D in cow's milk, fortified PBB (2 μg/100 mL), and margarine (26 μg/100 g), and new permission for yogurt/kefir (∼5 μg/serving). For each life stage, self-reported racial or Indigenous identity group, risk was evaluated using the proportion tolerable upper intake level (UL). Canadian Health Measures Survey (2012-2019; n = 21,387; 3-79 y) cross-sectional data were modeled to evaluate the impact of the updated vitamin D fortification strategy on inadequate vitamin D status (<40 nmol/L serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D). RESULTS: In 2015, the %85.7% across life stages. Modeling using higher amounts of vitamin D in fortified foods reduced the %