Global Data Visualizations

< Go back to GFDx indicators

Quantity and proportion of food vehicle that is fortified

The total amount, in metric tons (MT), and/or percentage of the industrially produced food vehicle that is fortified in a country.

Loading...
Interpretation

Ultimately, the goal of fortification programs is for 100% of the food that can be fortified (i.e., industrially processed in the case of maize flour, oil, rice, and wheat flour) and should be fortified (i.e., required by legislation or fortification standards) is actually fortified.

This visualization presents the amount (in metric tons) or percentage of food that is fortified in a country. Depending on the source, this information may come from regulatory authorities that carry out monitoring activities for fortification under food safety/food control systems (i.e., compliance); or, from non-regulatory authorities such as universities or non-governmental organizations (i.e., quality). Expert opinions (based on unpublished information) are also included in GFDx. These three types of data provide very different interpretations of the amount of food fortified in a country.

Compliance data usually refer to the proportion of food that is fortified according to national standards, whereas the quality data is typically reported as the proportion of food fortified at any level (even if quantitative data). This is because typically (although not always), food standards specify fortification levels at point of production, since food producers are not able to control food conditions during transportation, storage, and cooking.

Countries with mandatory fortification and low proportions of fortified food are clearly not operating optimally. Low fortification coverage or quality should serve as a flag for program managers to assess where implementation barriers are occurring. Additionally, if countries have no data or only expert opinion, it may be a priority to have governments make compliance data publicly available.

Indicator and term descriptions

The indicator and its proxies are intended to capture the different sources of data specifying how much of the food vehicle in a country meets the national fortification standards.

Compliance: An adherence to an order, regulation, or law. In the case of food fortification, foods that are fortified and included within any order, regulation, or law on food fortification (mandatory or voluntary) must adhere to the micronutrient specifications detailed in the nationally adopted fortification standards and/or other food quality, safety, packaging, and labeling requirements. To be deemed “compliant,” food producers or importers must “pass” a pre-determined and objectively defined set of requirements during a site audit/inspection by the government entity responsible for food control.

Quality: The degree to which a product meets stated requirements. Unlike compliance, which must be measured at the point of production or import by authorized government entities, data on quality may be generated by public, private (non-government) or civil society stakeholders. Additionally, quality may be collected from places of production, import or markets and may rely on qualitative or quantitative tests.

Industry compliance by production volume: The total amount (in metric tons [MT]) and percentage of industrially processed food that is required by legislation to be fortified that is fortified at levels that meet relevant standards. It is used to estimate the proportion of food in the country that meets minimum fortification standard.

Industry compliance by facilities/samples monitored: The percentage of industrially processed food that is required by legislation to be fortified that is fortified at levels that meet relevant standards. It is used when production/import quantity of compliant producers and importers is not known but estimates of industrial market share are available.

Proxy of industry compliance by market share: The total amount (in metric tons [MT]) and percentage of industrially processed food that is required under legislation to be fortified that is fortified at levels that meet relevant standards. It is used if production/import quantity of compliant producers and importers is not known but estimates of industrial market share are available.

Proxy of fortification quality by market/household samples: The total amount (in metric tons [MT]) and percentage of industrially processed food that is required by legislation to be fortified that is confirmed to be fortified at any level (preferred) or to a specified level (if the only data available). It is used if regulatory monitoring data are not available from points of production or import by an authorized government, but audits, quantitative, or qualitative tests have been performed on food products by another interested party at any level (production, import, market) or by any authority at market level.

Expert opinion: The degree to which a product meets stated requirements. Unlike compliance and quality, this information is not supported by a report.

Proxy of estimated fortification quality: The total amount (in metric tons [MT]) and percentage of industrially processed food that is required by legislation to be fortified and is fortified at any level (quality). It is used if no regulatory monitoring data or product sample data are available, but an educated guess can be made based on context and local knowledge by a technical expert.

Additional information about this indicator
How to download data

Follow these steps to download data from the visualization as an Excel or CSV file:

  • Click on the “Data” tab at the bottom of the visualization window.
  • Hover over the header row of the table until an ellipses (three dots […]) appears.
  • Click on “more options” and a drop-down menu will appear. Select “Export data.”
  • In the new window, select the export format that best supports your needs and click the “Export” button.
Considerations
  • Compliance data on the proportion of food fortified is often not openly available and relies on information from the regulatory agencies. GFDx relies on responses to its bi-annual survey to populate this data. In many cases, “expert opinion” is used as a proxy and is based on an individual’s understanding of the fortification program in that country.
    • Survey respondents may respond with proportions rather than amounts (e.g., 30% of the flour in a country is fortified). In these cases, GFDx calculates the amount in metric tons using the GFDx value for amount of food industrially processed.
    • Conversely, if respondents provide amounts rather than proportions, GFDx calculates the proportion using the GFDx value for the amount of food industrially processed.
Methodology

GFDx populates its database through a bi-annual survey, aiming to reach 196 countries. In between survey cycles, the GFDx database is updated when new information is received directly from fortification partners and/or national stakeholders. To share data for your country, please contact us at info@fortificationdata.org.

For more information about GFDx methodology and indicators: GFDx Data Dictionary.

Data sources
  • The source is the author, name and publication information of the country-specific document.
  • Country classifications of income status and geographic region are from the World Bank and the United Nations, respectively.
Other resources

Regulatory monitoring of National Food Fortification Programs: A Policy Guidance Document (available in English, Spanish, French, and Russian).

Suggested citation

Global Fortification Data Exchange. Map: Quantity and proportion of food vehicle that is fortified. Accessed dd/month/yyyy. [http://www.fortificationdata.org.]