Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) is a cost-effective intervention that is widely implemented, but there is scope to further increase its potential. To identify gaps and opportunities, we first accessed the Global Fortification Data Exchange (GFDx) to identify countries that could benefit from new fortification programs.
Food fortification, the addition of vitamins and minerals to foods to make them more nutritious, is proven to have long-lasting positive effects on people’s lives by reducing micronutrient deficiencies. No other technology offers as large an opportunity to improve lives at such low cost and in such a short time
Pellagra. Beriberi. You likely haven’t heard of these debilitating diseases: they were virtually eradicated more than 70 years ago by adding essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed staple foods and condiments. One of the most common forms of fortification, salt iodisation, is now practiced in more than 160 countries and is credited with preventing 750 million cases of goitre over the past 25 years.
The FACT provides details on how to plan, design, implement, analyse, and report a FACT survey. It was designed to help stakeholders collect, analyse, and synthesise standardised data on quality, coverage, and consumption of fortified foods, and fills a gap in the availability of standardised tools to generate information to understand how well programmes are working and how to improve them.
Food systems are essential to delivering healthy, affordable and sustainable diets, but the nutritional needs of children and adolescents are often not prioritised. UNICEF and GAIN co-hosted a global consultation on children, adolescents and food systems in November 2018.
A market assessment was conducted in Mozambique in 2015 across eight market hubs strategically selected in different regions of the country. These results help propose a plan for effective monitoring of fortified foods on the market.
In 2014, a Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT) survey was conducted across the state of Telangana, India. The main objectives of the survey were to determine the coverage of the take-home rations produced by AP Foods among target children and identify the major programme barriers and formulate recommendations for future programme activities.
A cross-sectional market survey was conducted to assess the presence of edible oil brands, including imported and locally produced brands and unbranded oils in selected markets across the eight divisions of the country, and to compare the vitamin A content of the edible oil brands with the national edible oil fortification standards.
A spatially representative state-wide survey was conducted in the state of Rajasthan, India, using the Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT) in 2013-2014. The objective of the survey was to assess the household coverage of atta wheat flour, edible oil, and salt.
A mixed-methods process evaluation was carried out to identify strengths and weaknesses in implementation, processes, and uptake of a micronutrient powder programme in Bangladesh.
