Wheat flour fortification legislation

Calculation

Data are attained through a survey sent to countries by the Global Fortification Data Exchange and through desk review of official documentation and partner databases.

Definition

The presence of mandatory or voluntary wheat flour fortification legislation. Mandatory legislation means there is a legal document that mandates fortification of wheat flour. Voluntary legislation means there is official documentation and/or a food standard that provides guidance on wheat flour fortification.

Relevance

Large-scale food fortification is a cost-effective means of improving intake of vitamins and minerals and preventing micronutrient deficiencies, which hinder growth and development and increase the risk of infection and metabolic disorders. Micronutrient deficiencies are present in low- and middle-income countries as well as in high-income countries. However, they are especially acute where diets consist mainly of cereals, roots, and tubers. By fortifying foods or food ingredients that are widely consumed such as wheat flour, countries may improve population-level micronutrient status. Success in achieving these goals is determined not only by the presence of legislation, but also the quality of implementation and scale of coverage.

Treatment of Missing Values

Countries with missing data do not have legislation in place or are countries for which no evidence indicating the presence of legislation could be identified from the survey or desk review.