Food fortification – the devil in the detail
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Why focus on food fortification?
Well, we know it’s one of the best tools we have to cost-effectively improve and protect people’s micronutrient status. The theory sounds simple. Add nutrients at the point of processing to staple foods and condiments that people already eat a lot – no big food supply chain shifts, and no major consumer behaviour change required. But the devil is in the detail.
We know in practice, impacts are mixed. The right foods aren’t always the ones that end up fortified. People change their eating patterns, industries are fragmented – with many lacking the incentive to fortify to standards set by governments, while governments lack capacity or will to regulate and enforce their own mandates.