A 2011 report of The National Nutrition Survey revealed that women and children were not getting micronutrients including iron, folic acid, vitamin A and D in their daily diet. Fifty one per cent of pregnant women suffer from anaemia, 37% from iron deficiency, 46% are deficient in vitamin A, and 69% in vitamin D. The problem repeats itself in children under five, with 62% suffering from anaemia and 54% from vitamin A deficiency. Consequently, the deficiency of these micronutrients seriously affects childrens health, growth, mental development and learning abilities.

For children, micronutrient deficiencies increase the risk of death due to infectious disease, limit their ability to fight disease and contribute to impaired cognitive and physical development. Providing a child with nutritious food from birth has an important impact on their physical, mental and cognitive development. It is important that all growing children take recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals, sufficient to maintain good health, improve better learning abilities and mental development.

In a current scenario, the daily consumed food items are not purred and enriched with micronutrients, especially, open edible oil/ghee, wheat flour often loss the essential micronutrients during the processing, similar is the case with the broiler chickens eggs, chicken and beef meat. Common citizens cannot afford a balanced diet.

It is high time to address micronutrient malnutrition through food based approaches which are easily accessible to all. Food fortification is the safest and most cost-effective means of improving micronutrient malnutrition.

What is Food Fortification?

Food Fortification is adding vitamins and minerals to staple food to prevent micronutrient deficiencies in the body. Fortified foods provide a preventive rather than a therapeutic benefit.

Why Fortified Food?

We cannot get essential micronutrients from our body. The only source is external balanced and nutritious diet. Fortified food reduces micronutrient deficiencies among pregnant, lactating women, women of reproductive age, children and general population.

Many neighbouring countries have adopted wheat flour fortification as a strategy to tackle micronutrient malnutrition and developed fortification standards, mandatory legislation and regulations.

Micronutrients requirements for children

Research findings revealed, as children grow, they need an adequate amount of micronutrient. It is essential that children are provided with the fortified wheat flour and edible oil/ghee made meal for their healthy development.

Iron, folic acid, zinc, Vitamin A and Vitamin D deficiency affect the cognitive development of children which ultimately impacts on their ability to better perform at school. This is a principal factor behind Pakistans low educational performance and poor economic progress. Deficiencies in iron, folic acid, zinc and Vitamin B12 have also been associated with increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. It is essential, therefore, that children consume fortified food in order to ensure adequate intake of essential micronutrients including vitamins and minerals. Adequate nutrients supplied through fortified wheat flour and edible oil/ghee made meal should ideally form part of a balanced diet.

Benefits of fortified food

1. Reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality rates

2. Improve children's mental and physical growth and development.

3. Increase childrens IQ level

4. Reduce anaemia and iron deficiency in women and children

5. Fortified wheat flour and edible oil/ghee, being enriched with vitamins and minerals, provides stamina and the energy.

What needs to be done

1) Setting up fortifications legal and regulatory regimes: It is important formulating harmonized fortification standards, according to international standards and populations dietary requirements. Mandatory legislation on food fortification is important for setting up the legal framework around fortification.

2) Ownership and acceptability from wheat flour and edible oil/ghee milling industry is highly important. The business community can potentially contribute to improving the nutritional status of populations in Pakistan.

3) Public Private Partnership between government relevant departments and wheat flour and edible oil/ghee milling industry is required to jointly contribute to improving the nutritional status of populations

4) Waiving of sales and custom tax on the procurement of fortification equipment. Government of Pakistan has exempted tax on the procurement of premix/fortificant added into the staple food fortification.

Public awareness and demand generation

Recognizing the micronutrient malnutrition challenges in Pakistan, communication, marking is vital to increasing consumers awareness about the benefits of fortified food and generating demands.

Food fortification is new in Pakistan and it is the first time that Pakistan is going to fortify wheat flour and edible oil/ghee unless consumers are aware about the fortified food and demand is generated then production and supply of fortified food may be affected.

Therefore, it is important that wheat flour and edible oil/ghee milling industry to contributeI in mass public awareness through marketing communication and media campaign activities. The most effective means of increasing consumers awareness is point of sale marketing where dealers, wholesalers, retailers and traders associations can effectively contribute.

Sustainability

Sustainability of fortified wheat flour and edible oil/ghee can only be ensured if harmonized fortification standards are in linewith the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authoritys standards as well as mandatory law, rules and regulations and regulatory environment are placed.The acceptability and ownership from wheat flour and edible oil/ghee milling industry is the core element of producing fortified food in Pakistan.

Excerpt from:
Food Fortification: Mandatory for human anatomy - The Nation (blog)