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This study aims to update the information on the current status of micronutrient fortification for iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin A in mandatory fortified food vehicles such as cooking oil, wheat and maize flours in Tanzania.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in five regions to analyze the adequacy of micronutrient fortification in mandatory fortified food vehicles. Samples of fortified edible oil (n = 19), wheat flour (n = 12) and maize flour (n = 5) were sampled conveniently from local markets and supermarkets. Samples were analyzed for vitamins (vitamin A and folic acid) and mineral (iron and zinc) content using high-performance liquid chromatography and microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometer, respectively. Compliance acceptable ranges between the minimum and maximum levels for each nutrient were used as a basis for compliance.

The results showed that 83.3% and 80% of wheat and maize flour samples, respectively, complied with iron fortification standards (p = 0.05). Only 25% of wheat flour samples and 40% of maize flour samples were within the acceptable ranges for zinc fortification (p = 0.05). Nearly 17% and 20% of wheat and maize flour samples, respectively, were within the acceptable ranges for folic acid fortification (p = 0.05). Moreover, about 10.5% of the analyzed cooking oils were adequately fortified with vitamin A (p = 0.05). Except for iron in wheat and maize flours, the levels of other micronutrients in mandatorily fortified foods were out of acceptable ranges.

Mandatory fortification is still far from the established standards, and this calls for a review of the current fortification strategies regarding standards, training, monitoring and enforcement in Tanzania.

This is the pilot study of a larger project in which fortification was evaluated in a clinical intervention trial in the Vaal Triangle of South Africa. The main purpose is to determine the suitability of stock cubes and stock powder as possible vehicles for fortification. A questionnaire was developed to determine stock cube and stock powder consumption patterns and handed out to the 802 subjects in the randomly selected sample, after testing for reliability. The results showed that 97 per cent of respondents (n=802) used stock cubes or powder daily in cooking, mainly stews, with the total consumption being 26 per cent chicken, 24 per cent beef, 15 per cent oxtail, 12 per cent mutton, 12 per cent tomato and 11 per cent vegetable. Stock cubes (79 per cent) were more popular than stock powder (21 per cent). From a consumption point of view, compared with other staple foods such as wheat flour, sugar and maize meal, stock cubes and/or stock powder are consumed on a daily basis by 97 per cent respondents and might thus be suitable vehicles for delivering micronutrients to many population groups without major changes in food production or changes in customary diets.

Stunting and being underweight in children are major nutritional problems especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of egg supplementation on a vitamin and mineral fortification program for growth, cognitive development and hemoglobin in underweight and stunted children.

This was an experimental study using a crossover design conducted in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. A total of 39 subjects were randomly selected from two community health centers and provided with two types of intervention: vitamin and mineral fortification sprinkle (Taburia) and Taburia with egg supplementation (Taburia PLUS). Each intervention was conducted for three months with one-month of washout period in between interventions.

There were no changes in weight-for-age Z-score in Taburia and Taburia PLUS (all p > 0.05). The height-for-age Z-score was increased in Taburia PLUS (p = 0.022) but not in Taburia (p > 0.05). Hemoglobin level was significantly increased in Taburia (p = 0.039) but not in Taburia PLUS (p > 0.05). There were no significant changes in visual motoric score in Taburia, but there were slight increases in Taburia PLUS (all p > 0.05).

The authors concluded that egg supplementation combined with multivitamins and minerals fortification program, Taburia PLUS, is beneficial to improve linear growth but not hemoglobin in stunted and underweight children.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most major micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. Food fortification is one strategy for reducing IDA in the population despite concern regarding the gut pathogenic bacteria overgrowth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of iron encapsulation in banana peel matrix on iron status and gut microbiota composition in iron deficiency anemia.

Anemia was induced in 35 male Sprague Dawley rats of age two weeks by the administration of iron-free diet for two weeks. Rats then randomly divided into control, iron-fortified tempeh (temFe) dose 10 and 20 ppm, iron matrix-fortified tempeh dose 10 and 20 ppm and iron matrix fortified tempeh dose 10 and 20 ppm with probiotic mixture. Blood was drawn at Weeks 2 and 6 for hemoglobin and serum iron analysis. Rats were sacrificed at the end of Week 6, and cecal contents were collected for Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria and Enterobactericeae analysis.

Hemoglobin and serum iron were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in all iron-fortified group with the highest value found in iron matrix dose 20 ppm (10.71 ± 0.15 g/dl and 335.83 ± 2.17 µg/dl, respectively). The cecal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria did not differ significantly between groups. Cecal Enterobactericeae was significantly different (p < 0.05) among groups with the lowest level in the temFe-20 (2.65 ± 0.78 log CFU) group.

The use of commercial inoculum instead of pure Rhizopus oligosporus mold for developing the fortified tempeh may impact the effect of product on cecal gut microbiota composition, as different molds and lactic acid bacteria can grow in tempeh when using commercial inoculum.

In Indonesia, iron fortification is conducted primarily in noodles and flour that limits the impact of iron fortification for reducing IDA in population. Iron fortification in food that was daily consumed by people, that is, tempeh, is potential strategy in reducing IDA in population.

Tempeh fortification using encapsulated iron improved iron status and gut microbiota composition in iron deficiency anemia.

The purpose of this paper is to access the present situation of the Pakistani population that suffers from vitamin D deficiency.

A review-based study was conducted based on publications from Pakistan between the years 2008 and 2018. The publications were archived from Pub Med and Google Scholar databases. A total of 18 publications were shortlisted, based on the cutoff values of vitamin D sufficiency, insufficiency and deficiency.

As per the data, 38.5 per cent of the participants were males, 48.7 per cent were females and 12.8 per cent of the studies have not mentioned the genders of the participants. The cumulative results show that 58.17 per cent (95 per cent CI: 52.17, 64.16) of the population is vitamin D-deficient and 26.65 per cent (95 per cent CI: 21.63, 31.66) is insufficient in vitamin D. The highest level of vitamin D deficiency was reported from Sindh (62.15 per cent), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (60.57 per cent), Punjab (51.75 per cent) and the Federal Capital (49.25 per cent). Moreover, Cochran’s Q test indicated considerable heterogeneity (p = >0.001) with regard to Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) prevalence found among samples from the selected studies.

The present analysis suggests that more than half of the Pakistani population suffers from VDD, which, thus, should be considered as an epidemic and treated likewise.

Inadequacies in several micronutrients in complementary foods, notably iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and riboflavin have been reported. Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP), prepared from dried moringa leaves is nutrient-rich and has been explored for the treatment of micronutrient deficiencies among children in developing countries. This increasing interest in the use of moringa oleifera leaves to improve complementary foods notwithstanding, the unique sensory characteristics of the leaf powder potentially holds implications for the acceptability of local diets that are fortified with it. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the levels of MLP fortification that are most acceptable for feeding infants and young children.

The authors performed a review of the literature, with the aim of investigating the sensory attributes and acceptable levels of fortification of complementary food blends fortified with different levels of MLP.

The minimum amount of MLP to be added to a complementary food blend to observe significant improvements in its nutritional value was estimated to be about 10 per cent. However, at this 10 per cent fortification level also, sensory attributes of the products begin to become less desirable.

For the success of nutrition interventions that involve the use of MLP to improve the nutritional quality of complementary foods, there is a need to consider the acceptability of the sensory attributes of the formulated blends in the target group. Safety of MLP as an ingredient in infant foods must also be investigated.

The authors of this paper make recommendations for the use of MLP to fortify complementary foods to ensure its success as a food fortificant in nutrition interventions. The researchers are not aware of any published study that focuses on this subject.

The weaning period is a crucial stage in the growth and development of the infant and child. The timing of weaning, the choice of foods, their methods of preparation, and how weanlings are fed, all affect the outcome. The commercial preparation of weaning foods and the fortification of some traditional foods are seen by some as the most sustainable and cost‐effective means of alleviating micronutrient deficiencies among infants and children. This may be true in industrialized countries, but the same cannot necessarily be said of poor, developing countries. Demonstrates that, even in poor communities, it is possible to combine scant food resources in a cost‐effective way to formulate multimixes which would meet energy, protein and micronutrient needs, without fortification. Proposes that such approaches can be used in community nutrition education programmes to help reduce childhood malnutrition and in emergency feeding programmes.

The formulated proposals for this legal principle in the trade battern of the European Community have again appeared in the EEC draft Directive. It has been many years in coming, indicating the extreme difficulties encountered in bringing some sort of harmony in the different laws of Member‐states including those of the United Kingdom, relating to the subject. Over the years there were periods of what appeared to be complete inactivity, when no progress was being made, when consultations were at a stand‐still, but the situation was closely monitored by manufacturers of goods, including food and drink, in the UK and the BFJ published fairly detailed reviews of proposals being considered — in 1979 and 1981; and even as recently as the last few months — in “Consumerism in the Community”, the subject was briefly discussed.

Food fortification with common kitchen ingredients has been suggested to improve nutritional intake. The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the efficacy of food fortification on calorie and protein intake among older adults.

A systematic search was conducted using Boolean search logic and seven research databases to identify interventions using fortified foods to increase calorie and protein intake among older adults. Ten studies published in English since 1996 were eligible for inclusion. Study quality was evaluated using an adapted Modified Jadad Questionnaire.

Food fortification was associated with increased calorie intake in eight studies, increased protein intake in five studies, and increased body weight in three studies. However, studies were limited by lack of rigor in methodology and small sample sizes.

Food fortification may improve calorie and protein intake, but results are limited by study weaknesses. Additionally, it is unclear whether improved intake results in improved clinical outcomes.