Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies through Food Fortification: A Narrative Review of Global Evidence
Keywords:
Food Fortification, Micronutrient Deficiency, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Public Health Nutrition, Low Income Countries, Biofortification, Nutrition PolicyAbstract
Micronutrient deficiencies continue to pose a significant public health burden in many low and middle income countries. This narrative review aims to assess the effectiveness, challenges, and policy implications of food fortification as a sustainable strategy for addressing these deficiencies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science to identify peer reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2024. The review employed keyword combinations and Boolean operators targeting relevant studies on iron, iodine, vitamin A fortification, and their health outcomes. Results indicate that food fortification programs particularly those involving staple foods like flour, salt, and oil have effectively improved micronutrient intake and reduced conditions such as anemia and iodine deficiency disorders. Evidence from Brazil, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire highlights the success of targeted interventions in enhancing hemoglobin levels and micronutrient status among children and pregnant women. However, significant obstacles remain, including distribution inefficiencies, socio economic barriers, lack of public awareness, and inconsistent regulatory enforcement. Discussion of systemic issues such as poverty, access, and infrastructure suggests that fortification alone is insufficient without integrated policy action and community education. Advances in encapsulation and biofortification technologies present promising opportunities, but their success relies on supportive governance and multisectoral collaboration. This review underscores the urgency for context sensitive, evidence based strategies to optimize food fortification's public health impact and recommends further research into scalable and equitable fortification interventions.
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