Bangladesh: Scoping Wheat Flour Fortification to Save Lives

Timing means everything. In 2020, that couldn’t have been truer.

From January to February 2020, FFI, in collaboration with Nutrition International (NI), undertook a scoping study to assess the opportunity for fortifying wheat flour in Bangladesh. Through the study, which would not have been possible after February 2020 as a result of COVID-19, FFI found that by 2022 approximately 78% of the wheat flour in Bangladesh will be industrially milled—and that large, modern mills will have the capacity to fortify this flour on a large scale.

Although rice is a staple cereal grain in Bangladesh for the population as a whole, it is not clear whether the rice milling industry is industrialized enough to support mandatory fortification. A landscape analysis of Bangladesh’s rice milling industry will clarify the feasibility to fortify rice, and FFI has made plans to complete this analysis in 2021.

On the other hand, wheat flour demand is growing rapidly in Bangladesh, particularly in urban areas. Fortifying all industrially milled wheat flour through mandatory fortification is expected to primarily reach Bangladesh’s 59 million individuals living in cities—37% of the country’s population. Social safety net fortification of wheat flour is currently possible under two mechanisms, Open Market Sales and Vulnerable Group Feeding, and provides an opportunity to reach Bangladesh’s most vulnerable. Yet, as these social safety net programs only reach around 3% of Bangladesh’s total population, mandatory fortification of industrially milled flour presents a tremendous opportunity to reach more people with essential micronutrients.

“Fortifying all industrially milled wheat flour and rice through mandatory fortification is expected to reach 121 million individuals—75% of the country’s population.”

With legislation and standards already in place for mandatory oil and salt fortification, and voluntary standards in place for wheat flour and rice fortification, there is legislative precedence and demonstrated interest by the Government of Bangladesh. Mandatory fortification of wheat flour and rice would complement the existing oil and salt fortification by delivering different essential micronutrients. Furthermore, fortifying all industrially milled wheat flour and rice through mandatory fortification is expected to reach 121 million individuals—75% of the country’s population.

Through a final report, the study provided recommendations to the government and other relevant stakeholders for implementing fortification of wheat flour in the country. Though implementation is pending due to the pandemic, it is remarkable that FFI was able to complete the first steps to establishing a successful wheat flour and rice fortification program and to building a smarter, stronger, and healthier future. for Bangladesh.