Food fortification prevent 7 billion nutrient gaps every year – New Lancet Study

Geneva – Large-scale food fortification, which involves adding essential vitamins and minerals to staple foods like flour, rice, oil, and salt, currently prevents an estimated 7 billion nutrient deficiencies worldwide each year, according to a landmark study published in The Lancet Global Health.

The research provides the first-ever comprehensive global analysis of the cost and impact of these programs, concluding that they are one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available.

The study, led by researchers at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) with collaborators from the University of California, World Bank, and Tufts University, found that current efforts cost just 18 cents per person annually. The biggest success story is salt iodization, which accounts for nearly half of all benefits and has reduced global iodine deficiency by 87%.

Despite these successes, researchers highlighted a major untapped potential: by improving and expanding existing programs, the annual impact could be tripled to prevent 25 billion nutrient gaps.

Dr. Mduduzi Mbuya, Director of Knowledge Leadership at GAIN and co-author, stated, “This research confirms that food fortification is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available… But we’re also leaving major gains on the table. With targeted improvements, we could reach billions more people.”Key Pathways to Triple the Impact

The study identified three priority actions that could dramatically expand food fortification programs:

• Improving Compliance: Raising compliance with existing standards to 90% would prevent an additional 6.1 billion nutrient gaps.
• Aligning National Standards: Harmonizing national standards with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines while improving compliance would prevent 10.3 billion additional nutrient gaps.
• Expanding Programs: Extending programs to high-need countries with appropriate food vehicles—combined with improved standards and compliance—could prevent 17.7 billion additional nutrient gaps.

The investment required is modest; under the most comprehensive scenario, the annual cost would be just $1.15 per person. This is a minimal cost compared to the estimated tens of billions of dollars in economic losses attributed to micronutrient deficiencies each year. On average, the study found that every dollar invested in fortification provides a return of $27 in health and productivity.

While fortification is a powerful tool, GAIN Global Lead Florencia Vasta noted that achieving optimal nutrition will require complementary approaches such as “parallel investments in dietary diversity, supplementation for vulnerable groups like pregnant women and young children and making healthy diets more affordable and accessible.”

With 2.6 billion people globally unable to afford a healthy diet, the researchers stress that governments, private sector partners, and donors should act immediately to enforce existing fortification standards, align them with global guidelines, and expand programs to meet the critical need.