An update on the current global status of micronutrient fortification of staple foods.

Staple food fortification has been carried at the global level for a number of decades. The earliest national staple food fortification programmes were the fortification of salt with iodine and fortification of wheat flour with iron and B group vitamins. The World Health Organization has advocated for the inclusion of the fortification of staple foods as part of a number of interventions within a national nutrition programme designed to improve the health status of the general population. In the past 2 to 3 decades the number of countries that have implemented national food fortification programmes has accelerated significantly. This presentation will provide an update on the current status of progress for staple food fortification with specific reference to wheat and maize flour and will include an update on other staple foods such as salt, vegetable oil and oil products, milk and other foods. The update will include an assessment of the key factors that have led to implementation, the conditions for successful programmes, the challenges that have occurred and the types of micronutrients that are being used in staple food fortification programmes. In addition, the presentation will describe the use of a cost benefit analysis advocacy tool that has been used with success to encourage countries to fortify