Iron fortified soy sauce program
Iron fortified soy sauce program- a 7 years glance: In collaboration with the Institute of Nutrition, China CDC since 1997, the iron fortified soy sauce program has been working for 7 years. The milestones of the program are:
- Soy sauce identified as an ideal food carrier for iron fortification in 1997
- Method developed for the synthesis of NaFeEDTA in 1998;
- NaFeEDTA approved by the Ministry of Health as a new food fortificant in 1999;
- Support from the for the fortified soy sauce program in 2001;
- Iron fortified soy sauce marketed in 2002;
- Iron fortified soy sauce application program funded by GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) in 2003.
- The implementation of the 5-year GAIN Project was started in 2004 and the goals of the program include: annual yield of iron-fortified soy sauce reaches 1,800,000 tons, accounted for 30-40% of the total soy sauce production in China; proper quality control system (GMP, HACCP) established in all the iron-fortified soy sauce producers; the program will cover 360 million Chinese residents, including 129 million high risk populations (among whom the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia is as high as 30%); and the reduction of prevalence of anemia by 30% in the high risk populations
By the end of 2004, the implementation of the GAIN program is going on well by the team headed by Dr Junshi Chen. ILSI Focal Point is playing a coordinating role and initiating social marketing expertise in the project implementation.
Effectiveness study on flour fortification in prevention of birth defects
An efficacy study on fortified flour for the prevention of birth defects was initiated in Shanxi province in China in 2004. The project is supported by Micronutrient Initiatives and will last for 3 years. The Institute of Population Research of Peking University and the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, and the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, China CDC is one of the executive institutions and ILSI Focal Point in China is coordinating all the activities.
Efficacy trial on iron fortified wheat flour
With the support of ILSI CHP and SUSTAIN, an efficacy trial on iron fortified wheat flour in anemic children to compare the efficacy of different iron compounds was being conducted by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, China CDC in collaboration with ILSI Focal Point in China. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of iron fortified wheat flour in controlling iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficient anemia (IDA) using different iron compounds, i.e. NaFeEDTA, ferrous sulfate and electrolytic elemental iron. The study was conducted in anemic school children consuming a plant-food based diet with wheat flour as the staple food. The study lasted for 6 to 9 months and be completed by mid 2005.
Follow-up study on the long term effects of home-level complementary food fortification
A complementary food fortification project has been carried out in five poor counties of Gansu province since September 2001. Up to July.2003, about 1500 children aged 6 to 12 months have been enrolled into the study. There were significant differences in body height and blood hemoglobin increment between the children fed with soya-based multi-micronutrient fortified food supplement and the children fed with non-fortified rice-based food supplement. The development quotient (as an indicator for mental development) of children at 24 months of age was significantly better in the fortified group. In order to study the lasting effect of home-level micronutrient fortification during early age on the growth and development of children, such as weight, height, hemoglobin and intelligence/behavior development, with funding support from Project IDEA of ILSI – CHP, a follow-up study was organized by ILSI Focal Point in China in collaboration with China CDC. The study period is from August 2004 to June 2007.