Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Food fortification, or adding vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods, has been successfully employed in Canada since the mid-twentieth century. Salt iodization, the addition of vitamins A and D to milk, and B vitamin fortification of white flour have nearly eradiated micronutrient deficiency diseases in Canada and throughout the economically developed world. However, the lessons learned from this simple, cost-effective, sustainable, and 'passive' intervention have not transcended borders for widespread use in all developing regions. In Cambodia, only iodine (salt) fortification is mandatory, and although smaller scale iron (fish and soy sauce) and vitamin A (vegetable oil) fortification programs are being piloted, morbidity and mortality caused by micronutrient deficiencies continues to plague vulnerable groups, including young children and childbearing women. Thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency, for example, remains an often-overlooked public health issue in Cambodia, causing an estimated 500 infants deaths annually. Using thiamin-fortified fish sauce as a case, we will explore how fortification can be a simple, sustainable, and passive solution to combat 'hidden hunger' (micronutrient deficiencies) in resource-poor regions.