FORTIFICATION PROGRAMMES IN BANGLADESH
Fortification of Edible Oil in Bangladesh:
From January 2010 to June 2013 GAIN awarded a grant to UNICEF Bangladesh to implement a program to fortify with vitamin-A all refined edible palm and soybean oil in Bangladesh. Phase II (from July 2013 to December 2015) extends cooperation with the Ministry of Industry (MOI) and refineries to reach full-scale sustainable production of quality-assured fortified edible oil.
The mandatory fortification of Edible Oil with Vitamin A Bill, 2013, has been passed. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the edible oil fortification program in Bangladesh, as it will now be mandatory to fortify edible oil with vitamin A, and the law prohibits the import of unfortified edible oil.
Partners
- Project Management Unit, Ministry of Industry
- Economic Relations Division (ERD, Ministry of Finance)
- Ministry of Industries; Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI)
- National Nutrition Services (NNS) of Institute of Public Health (IPHN) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Oil producers.
Outcome: All fortified edible palm and soybean oil available in the country is adequately fortified at a level of 15 ppm vitamin A. 95 percent of the target population consumes fortified edible oil.
Salt Iodization:
Bangladesh is one of the countries where a vast number of people suffers from iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). In 1989, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) formally accepted universal salt iodization (USI) as the safe, cost-effective and sustainable strategy to ensure adequate iodine nutrition for the population.
In Bangladesh, MI, UNICEF, GAIN is supporting public-private partners in adopting innovative and sustainable models that can help communities vulnerable to malnutrition access affordable nutritious foods.
Rice Fortification:
Rice fortified with essential vitamins and minerals will be made available to 500,000 men, women and children to fight micronutrient deficiencies amongst the poorest in Bangladesh, thanks to a contribution of close to US$5 million from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The programme is a joint initiative between WFP and the Government of Bangladesh, supported by global science company Royal DSM.
Wheat Flour Fortification
Since November 2000, USAID/Bangladesh designed and implemented a trial wheat flour fortification activity under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) Program. The World Food Programme (WFP) provided support to this effort. The fortified wheat flour was distributed by NGOs to VGD families. About 10,000 families participated in the program. In lieu of the usual monthly ration of 30kg of whole-grain wheat, recipient families were provided 25kg of fortified chukki-mill atta (small stone mill wheat flour). Program activities were designed to generate important information on the feasibility of wheat flour fortification on a larger scale. To achieve this objective, several studies were conducted:
- An organoleptic study (analysis of the sensorial characteristics of a food - its taste, odor, color) to evaluate the organoleptic qualities of the fortified wheat flour and its products.
- An efficacy study to assess the health impact of the fortified wheat flour on the recipient Population.
- A utilization and acceptability study to ascertain beneficiaries’ use of the wheat flour.
- A cost analysis and sustainability study to assess cost factors and sustainability requirements for a nationwide program.
A quality assurance and quality control manual for fortification was prepared. A promotional and educational campaign to inform recipients of the health benefits of the fortified wheat flour was undertaken. The promotion and education activity generated an introductory video, posters, and flyers, and included a training program for NGO staff who participated in the distribution of the fortified flour.
Source: Wheat Flour Fortification Program in Bangladesh; Final Report -October 2003
Bio Fortification of rice:
DHAKA, 8 March 2011 (IRIN) - Scientists are using selective plant breeding known as bio-fortification to mass produce a high-zinc rice in Bangladesh within the next five years that can reduce micronutrient shortages. Unlike typical food fortification, when a mineral is added to a food once it has been harvested and processed, with bio-fortification, scientists seek out nature’s super foods to boost the nutrition of less enriched varieties either through genetic modification or selective breeding. More rice is consumed per person in Bangladesh than in any other country where it is considered a staple food, according to local NGO Bangladesh Rice Foundation. Most Bangladeshis cannot afford to eat animal products, which have a naturally higher level of zinc, according to HarvestPlus, the Washington-based NGO overseeing the high-zinc rice project. That leaves rice as their main source - though insufficient - of zinc. Trained bio-fortification breeders at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute are testing seeds selected from hundreds of thousands of rice strains chosen for their naturally high zinc content. Scientists are then cross-breeding the zinc-rich rice with widely grown rice varieties to see what takes root in Bangladesh’s soil and climate. “The very best lines are then tested at many different locations in Bangladesh on breeding stations and on-farm,” said HarvestPlus’s head of production development, Wolfgang Pfeiffer.
A small selection of top-performing seeds will be multiplied and released in 2013 “on a massive scale to farmers”, he said. The cost is still in question, but must be affordable enough for the poor, HarvestPlus said. Getting farmers to agree to a new breed may be difficult said the NGO’s manager in Bangladesh, Rezaul Karim. “Farmers are risk averse. However, we are planning an educational campaign about the benefits of bio-fortified rice. If consumers are motivated, farmers will be motivated.” The bio-fortified rice is expected to look and taste the same as non-fortified rice, which though comforting, may carry at least one risk noted Karim. “It will be very difficult to distinguish the seeds [of different rice strains]. If [another] crop fails, this could lead to a bad reputation [for the zinc-rich hybrid strain].” HarvestPlus is trying to develop high-zinc rice in other countries, as well as wheat, maize, cassava, beans, and pearl millet said, Pfeiffer.
Source: http://www.irinnews.org/report/92132/bangladesh-bio-fortification-finding-nature-s-power-foods
