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Nutrition Unit

Flour Fortification with Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 in the Americas

Regional Meeting
9-10 October 2003 - Santiago, Chile
Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), March of Dimes (MOD), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)



 Final Meeting Report 

Agenda
PDF (13 KB)

Background
PDF (17 KB)

List of Participants
PDF (42 KB)

Presentations
1. Meeting background and objectives (PDF, 847 KB)
2. Institutional perspective: CDC (PDF, 1972 KB)
3. Global micronutrient malnutrition and food fortification as a key public health intervention (PDF, 1453 KB)
4. Situation of deficiencies in iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, and flour fortification in the Americas (PDF, 1910 KB)
5. Country experience: USA and Canada (PDF, 660 KB)
6. Country experience: Chile (PDF, 672 KB)
7. Industry perspectives on food fortification (PDF, 126 KB)
8. Guidelines for food fortification with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 (PDF, 1453 KB)
9. Regulatory monitoring of food fortification (Quality control/quality assurance, inspection and food labeling) (PDF, 340 KB)
10. Household monitoring of food fortification (Monitoring and evaluation) (PDF, 145 KB)
11. Experience of Central American countries (PDF, 2375 KB)
12. Social marketing and consumer education
13. Meeting conclusions (PDF, 2501 KB)

Technical References
Iron compounds for food fortification: Guideline for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2002
(PDF, 973 KB; Nutr Rev 2002 Jul; 60(7) [II]S50-S61. )


    The PAHO Regional Nutrition Unit jointly sponsored a regional meeting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (MOD), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and hosted by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA) of the University of Chile. This regional meeting was the next step in the process of translating current scientific and programmatic knowledge into practice, by transferring the knowledge on optimizing flour fortification into the hands of program implementers in the Americas.


    Countries Attending (20): Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela

    Country Participants: Representatives of the Ministry of Health, regulatory entity, and the flour industry

    Other Participants: Latin American Association of Industrial Millers (ALIM), BASF Ltd., DSM Nutritional Products, Fortitech South America, Granotec Chile S.A., Instituto Teletón Chile, Project Healthy Children

    Objectives

    1. Review the nutritional status in terms of iron, folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies in the Americas and the situation of flour fortification with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

    2. Review and discuss the experiences and lessons learned from national flour fortification programs.

    3. Review the conclusions and recommendations of the technical consultations on "Iron Compounds for Food Fortification" (PAHO/ILSI/USAID/INACG) and "Recommended Levels of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Fortification" (PAHO/MOD/CDC).

    4. Discuss and identify programmatic solutions to optimize flour fortification in the Americas.