The government has stepped up efforts to tackle vitamin and mineral deficiencies through food fortification, with the Ministry of Health introducing new guidelines to strengthen compliance among food processors.
The Ministry has developed the 2026 National Guidelines for the Implementation of Food Fortification, alongside the 2024 Food Fortification Regulations, providing processors with a framework for meeting required standards in the fortification of commonly consumed foods.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Eliud Eliakim said the measures were aimed at ensuring fortified food products are safe, of good quality and contain the required levels of essential nutrients.
Dr Eliud made the remarks in Dodoma on August 13, 2026, while representing the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Grace Magembe, at a ceremony to hand over Vitamin A premix and the new guidelines to the Tanzania Sunflower Oil Processors Association (TASUPA).
He said the Ministry had strengthened its monitoring systems and invested in equipment to help verify compliance with food fortification requirements.
“We have completed the Food Fortification Management and Monitoring System and procured and distributed 12 i-check machines in 12 regions to test iron levels in wheat and maize flour,” Dr Eliud said.
The Ministry has also made available rapid test kits to measure iodine in salt, iron in flour and Vitamin A in refined edible oils.
As part of the initiative, the Ministry has procured 100 litres of Vitamin A premix, which will be distributed through TASUPA to small-scale sunflower oil processors.
Dr Eliud said the government had also distributed 160 dosifiers across 10 regions to enable small-scale processors to add essential nutrients to flour.
In addition, four machines for refining cooking oil and fortifying it with Vitamin A are being installed at processing centres in Dodoma, Singida and Mbeya.
Dr Eliud said the guidelines would help ensure that wheat flour, maize flour, salt and refined edible oils subject to fortification meet prescribed safety and quality standards.
He said food fortification was an important public health intervention because it can increase people's intake of essential vitamins and minerals through foods they already consume.
“This strategy is important in addressing the effects of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the body,” he said.
The intervention is particularly important for adolescents, women of reproductive age and children under five, who are among groups vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.
Dr Eliud said deficiencies could contribute to health problems including anaemia, stunting and wasting among children, while also affecting a child's development before birth.
He said the challenge was partly linked to limited dietary diversity, with many households relying heavily on cereals, roots and bananas while consuming relatively small amounts of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and eggs.
The government's investment in testing equipment and fortification technology is expected to make it easier for small-scale processors to comply with national requirements.
For consumers, the measures are intended to improve access to fortified foods while strengthening oversight of the quality and safety of products on the market.
The Ministry's approach combines food fortification with efforts to promote diversified diets, recognising that fortified foods can complement, rather than replace, a balanced diet.
The initiative also places greater responsibility on food processors to adhere to established standards, while strengthening the government's ability to monitor compliance and protect consumers.
