Food fortification prevents seven billion nutrient gaps annually — but could triple its impact

A new study in The Lancet Global Health contains the first comprehensive global analysis of the impact of current food fortification programs, both in terms of the health benefits and costs.

An international team of researchers found that large-scale food fortification programs currently prevent around seven billion cases of micronutrient inadequacies worldwide annually, with the cost just 18 cents per person.

Despite the success of current programs, an estimated 38.6 billion micronutrient inadequacies persist yearly. The number reflects the fact that some people have inadequacies in more than one micronutrient, contributing to the global count multiple times. 

The study identified three priority actions that could dramatically expand impact:

• Improving compliance with existing standards to 90% could prevent an additional 6.1 billion inadequacies at a cost of $0.23 per person annually.

• Aligning national standards with guidelines from the World Health Organisation while improving compliance could prevent 10.3 billion additional inadequacies at $0.63 per person. 

• Expanding programs to high-need countries with appropriate food vehicles — combined with improved standards and compliance — could prevent 17.7 billion additional inadequacies at $1.15 per person.