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Enablers and Barriers of Zinc Fortification; Experience from 10 Low- and Middle-Income Countries with Mandatory Large-Scale Food Fortification
- Source :
- Nutrients, vol 13, iss 6, Nutrients, Vol 13, Iss 2051, p 2051 (2021), Nutrients
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- eScholarship, University of California, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Adequate zinc nutrition is important for child growth, neurodevelopment, immune function, and normal pregnancy outcomes. Seventeen percent of the global population is estimated to be at risk for inadequate zinc intake. However, zinc is not included in the fortification standards of several low- and middle-income countries with mandatory fortification programs, despite data suggesting a zinc deficiency public health problem. To guide policy decisions, we investigated the factors enabling and impeding the inclusion of zinc as a fortificant by conducting in-depth interviews with 17 key informants from 10 countries. Findings revealed the decision to include zinc was influenced by guidance from international development partners and enabled by the assessment of zinc deficiency, mandatory regional food fortification standards which included zinc, the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for zinc fortification, and the low cost of zinc compound commonly used. Barriers included the absence of zinc from regional fortification standards, limited available data on the efficacy and effectiveness of zinc fortification, and the absence of national objectives related to the prevention of zinc deficiency. To promote zinc fortification there is a need to put the prevention of zinc deficiency higher on the international nutrition agenda and to promote large-scale food fortification as a key deficiency mitigation strategy.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
qualitative study
Nutrition Policy
0302 clinical medicine
Pregnancy
TX341-641
030212 general & internal medicine
Micronutrients
Nutrition and Dietetics
zinc
Fortified
Micronutrient
Zinc
Food, Fortified
Female
Public Health
International development
medicine.medical_specialty
barriers
Fortification
chemistry.chemical_element
Nutritional Status
Article
large-scale food fortification
03 medical and health sciences
LMIC
Food Sciences
Environmental health
medicine
Humans
Developing Countries
enablers
Nutrition
030109 nutrition & dietetics
Nutrition. Foods and food supply
Public health
Prevention
Food fortification
Malnutrition
Neurosciences
medicine.disease
undernutrition
chemistry
Food
Zinc deficiency
Business
Biomarkers
Food Science
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nutrients, vol 13, iss 6, Nutrients, Vol 13, Iss 2051, p 2051 (2021), Nutrients
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....88958eeeb9262ccb08a12119c213eca9