Where In The World Are Foods Fortified?

The Micronutrient Initiative located in Ottawa, Canada is dedicated to eliminating vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies (VMD) and has mapped VMD throughout the world. They have determined that over 30% of the world's population suffers from material vitamin and mineral deficiency. Countries most severely affected are in Africa, Central America, China, and Southeast Asia. What most countries lack is a comprehensive strategy for combating VMD's that take fully into account the eating habits of the local population and the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals.

Nowhere is the need or benefit greater than within countries suffering from the enormous health challenges of HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, caloric malnutrition, and dengue fever. Vitamins and minerals are vital for strengthening immune systems. Diseases caused or exacerbated by VMD - largely preventable diseases - divert resources from the more complicated challenges of other global health threats. A child born with a neural tube defect (NTD) such as spina bifida cannot be ignored. Regardless of the child's long term prognosis, he/she will consume an estimated $100,000 of health care resources for a defect that, in most cases, could have been prevented for as little as 5 cents a year. Given the typical incidence of NTDs, this equates to an economic payback of 2,000:1.

As voluntary efforts have largely failed, PHC advocates mandatory food fortification in conjunction with close cooperation by the private industry. Without country-wide standards it's impossible to fully protect a country's population, measure success or prevent a tilted playing field which penalizes the food processors who cooperate with voluntary programs.

Additional reading:

Food Fortification Laws - Africa

Food Fortification Laws – Southeast Asia

Food Fortification Laws – Americas and the Caribbean

Summary of Mandatory and Voluntary Food Fortification in Developing Countries

(MOST/USAID) guidelines of food fortification (please note this is a large document and takes a moment to download)