ABSTRACT
Objectives: To describe prospects of successful fortification of unbranded cooking oil with vitamin A in Indonesia through public-private cooperation, based on a pilot program in 2 districts on West Java. Methods: Collaborating with Ministries of Health, Industry and Trade, Indonesia's Food Fortification Foundation and Food & Drug Agency, and GAIN, two producers covering a large market share on West Java piloted fortification of cooking oil with 45 IU/g retinyl palmitate, the National Standard (SNI) for oil at factory-level. For quality control, vitamin A in cooking oil was measured at a factory, distributors and retailers, and from households. Household surveys measured oil consumption. Results: Oil consumption among children 12-23 and 24-59 months averaged 12.5 and 22.3 g/day, and 29 g/day in women 15-29 years, similar before and after start of fortification. Oil samples contained retinyl palmitate at averages of 43.6 IU/g at the factory (68 samples), 33.8 IU/g among distributors (2 stores, 28 samples), 33.3 IU/g at retail shops (24 shops, 64 samples) and 19.2 IU/g among households (339 households, 6376 samples). Vitamin A content in oil varied over the 12 months of the pilot. Further work should determine if variations reflect degradation of vitamin A during storage (including varying storage times of samples before measurement), or mixing of fortified oil with non-fortified oil by retailers. Conclusions: Quality control and enforcement of compliance throughout the distribution chain of cooking oil by the Government, and a mandatory fortification standard supported by all stakeholders are essential for this program to be sustained and expanded.
ABSTRACT
Previous studies have revealed that several factors influenced the relatively low success of iron supplementation for pregnant women. The factors included poor distribution, low coverage and compliance, as well as low absorption. The aim of this study is to measure the iron status of pregnant women after consuming crackers containing fish powder and iron-folate. This study was carried out in the Purworejo district (Central Java) from February through October 2002. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, 70 pregnant women in their second-third month of pregnancy were recruited, and divided into two groups. Ten women dropped out during the study. The first group consisted of 28 women were given protein – iron enriched crackers (PIEC group), while the second group of 32 women were given iron–enriched crackers (IEC group) for a total of 12 weeks. The results showed that the hemoglobin (Hb) levels and serum transferrin receptors (sTfR) of both groups were increased. Serum ferritins (SF) of both groups were decreased. At the end of the study, the increase in Hb and sTfR levels between the two groups were significantly different, while the decrease in SF was not significantly different. Animal protein from fish powder tended to improve absorption of non-heme iron among pregnant women, resulting in improved Hb and sTfR levels.