Fortified food to fight "hidden hunger" in Morocco

March 2007 - An action plan has been set to run the GAIN project (Global Alliance for Improving Nutrition), by the Ministry of Health and Unicef to face the iron deficiency from which a third of the Morrocan population suffers , in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Industry and with the support of the World Bank. The aim is large-scale food fortification. 

Further information Morocco receives US$2.92 million grant for flour fortification project (2005) Websites GAIN project Ministry of health Ministry of agriculture UNICEF in Morocco

Iron deficiency is one of the most dramatic: it reduces learning capacity and energy levels of children, compromises immune systems, and opens doors to diseases like anemia.

Health costs and productivity losses related to micronutrients deficiencies represent 5 % of the GDP; the iron deficiency by itself represents a loss of more than 2 milliards DH every year.

To wrestle this plague, ministry of health, with support from its partners, launched in April 2005 a National fortification program which goals are: 

• Total elimination of problems due to iodine, vitamin A and D deficiency by 2015
• Reduction of deficiency anemia by one third from its 1995 level

The success key of the Program is built on staple and large-scale food fortification like flour, salt, cooking oil, sugar, and dairy products.  The Program encourages industrials to add vitamins and mineral salt to basic and large-scale food.

The government reduced the customs charges from 50 to 10 % on imported products necessary for the fortification of flour. Tax reduction or elimination should be an additional incitation to mobilize all the millers about this citizen and competitive action.

Put on the packages, this logo helps consumers know that the product has been fortified.

Important achievements have been already made: Nearly 95 % of the cooking oil sold today in Morocco is fortified by vitamin A and D; the ioded salt is now used at a large-scale level and 10 out of 42 millers who have received the "fortified product" logo are producing fortified flour with iron and vitamins.

The decree for flour fortification and its order have been published on the Official Bulletin (January 5, 2006 and November 16, 2006 Bulletins). It will come into force in May 17, 2007, meaning that the flour fortification will be an obligation for the millers. However, the Ministry of agriculture has planned a technical support for the millers in 2007.

By investing only 0,3 % of the GDP into this national program, Morocco could commit all the concerned actors and therefore eradicate the deficiencies, guarantee the next generation’s productivity and contribute to a sustainable country development. Moreover, by acting on the human capital, the Program is enrolled in the National Initiative for Human (INDH).