Bangladesh Fortification of Edible Oils Project

Project Overview

Through a US$ 2.9 million grant, GAIN is supporting UNICEF, in partnership with the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), to fortify with vitamin A all edible palm and soybean oil which are refined in Bangladesh. BSTI is responsible for formulating national standards for industrial, food and chemical products. Funding will be provided for activities including: training of technical staff in fortification and quality control to ensure levels of vitamins and minerals are in accordance with national standards; purchase of premix; development of quality assurance and control protocols; a social marketing and consumer education campaign around the benefits of fortification; and surveys that collect data pre and post intervention to assess impact on populations.

Goal

The goal of the project is to improve the micronutrient status of the population of Bangladesh by reducing the prevalence of sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency among at risk groups including women of reproductive age group and children.

Impact

At full scale, the project aims to reach an estimated 90 million people, or 57 percent of the population with fortified vegetable oil.

Achievements

In progress

Duration

The project began in February 2010 and is expected to become sustainable in January 2013.