Addressing the Fortification Quality Gap: A Proposed Way Forward

Abstract

Large-scale food fortification is an effective, sustainable, and scalable intervention to address vitamin and mineral deficiencies, however, pressing gaps exist globally around ensuring the quality of fortified foods. This paper summarizes the global challenges and gaps faced in monitoring the quality of fortified foods, the guidance produced in response to these challenges, where we are today in terms of effective implementation, and what approaches and opportunities may be usefully applied to enhance the quality of fortified foods moving forward.

Keywords: compliance; fortification; fortification quality; large-scale food fortification; micronutrient deficiency; micronutrients; monitoring; premix reconciliation calculation; regulatory monitoring.

Figure 1

FortifyMIS dashboard data that displays how compliant cooking oil producers are to the national vitamin A standard over a select period of time compared to the national standard shown by the green horizontal bar (including minimum (15 mg/kg) and maximum (30 mg/kg) levels as designated in the national cooking oil fortification standard). Average oil fortification is 44 mg/kg; 6 producers are considered compliant since they fall above the minimum of 15 mg/kg. These data were collected by regulatory inspectors and can be viewed by program managers. Producer information has been masked for confidentiality.

Figure 2

FortifyMIS dashboard data that displays brand performance for cooking oil against the national standard for vitamin A and indicates what percent of the standard is met across all data collection points (producer level, border points, and market level). Brand information has been masked for confidentiality.

Figure 3

PalmATrack industry dashboard for the month of January for one sugar producer that has two production facilities (Sunsweet Station and White Station). The graph displays iCheck test results for vitamin A in the sugar. The x axis displays the days of the month and the y axis displays the test results for vitamin A in milligrams of Retinal Equivalent (RE) per kilogram. Red bars indicate test results that are below the national standard and blue bars indicate test results that within the national standard. Dashes indicate no test results for that day.