Digital Fortification Quality Traceability

Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+)

Developing country-driven digital systems for improving large scale food fortification quality and more

The Challenge

Fortification is a key part of the response to the crisis of malnutrition, adding one or more essential nutrients to widely and regularly consumed foods during processing.

This impactful and cost-effective intervention can reach billions of people by making commonly consumed foods more nutritious and vitamin rich. Current fortification programmes are often unable to meet government fortification standards due to a variety of issues such as training and lack of resources. Without support and engagement, many are unable to fortify their products to national standards, reducing the impact of fortification on micronutrient intake and disease prevention.

The Solution

Improving the quality and traceability across value chains.

For decades, various organisations have supported national fortification initiatives. Their efforts include accrediting the quality of micronutrient premixes and building the capacity of industries, labs, and government regulators.

These initiatives have achieved considerable progress and culminated in the development of a country-owned, digital, user-friendly system that enable mills and authorities to generate, govern, share, and utilise real-time, accurate, secure, and traceable data on food fortification quality from factories to markets.

Program Vision

To revolutionize global food fortification by providing an adaptable traceability solution that empowers all stakeholders to ensure the delivery of more nutritious food to every consumer.

The country-driven digital solution fosters real-time data sharing, transparency, trust, efficiency, and accountability across the entire food system value chain, enabling healthier populations.

Consistent and actionable data on quality of fortified foods is critical to ensuring programmes can reach their potential public health impact. The DFQT+ system enables stakeholders to track micronutrient quality throughout the entire value chain, starting from the initial components and materials—such as premix and micronutrients—down to the final product, ensuring quality is maintained at every stage.

DFQT+ systems will equip fortified food producers to;

Provide proof of quality and social impact
Market a high-quality product to consumers, increasing profitability and brand loyalty.
Improve inventory management, reducing waste and preventing stockouts.
Course-correct in real-time, improving efficiency.
Ensure procurement of quality premix and a final product that is fortified to meet national standards.
Map product distribution and improve understanding of the market.

Digital DFQT+ systems will equip governments to;

Strengthen oversight of fortification quality
Make data-driven decisions about the use of public resources.
Reassure consumers regarding product quality and truth in labelling.

Access to a supply chain trace can provide insights into where quality is failing

Our Theory of Change

Dashboard of DFQT+ presents data from multiple sources in a single view allowing users to access important metrics quickly and track performance using key indicators

Pilots and Scale-Up

Between 2022 and 2025, GAIN is leading a consortium of technical experts to pilot and scale up digital traceability systems for food fortification quality in 3 countries: Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria. The system solution is not limited to a single country or even food; it can be adapted to trace quality or other attributes of interest across any value chain (for example, elements of food safety).

Adopting an iterative, agile approach, the DFQT+ system is co-designed with private and public partners in each country. This project rejects a one-size-fits-all approach. Local champions of digitisation are playing a crucial role in driving change from the ground up.

By co-creating digital systems with local refiners and public employees, GAIN aims to balance standardisation with customisation, ensuring that all stakeholders benefit from the shift from a manual to a digital traceability and quality control system.

Contact

Florencia Vasta
Programme Lead, Large Scale Food Fortification

Florencia provides support for country programmes through technical assistance, data, and resources to improve nutrition through scaling cost-effective nutrition interventions. She also supports countries and regional agencies with the development of strategic partnerships to achieve nutrition commitments.