Miller Magazine Issue 137 May 2021

85 ARTICLE MILLER / may 2021 mins and minerals are not always easily obtained through a diversified diet alone, especially in regions where nutri- ent-rich food isn’t affordable or accessible. Staple foods such as rice, for example, make up a large proportion of global diets, but many naturally occurring nutrients are lost during processing. Meanwhile, the main source of vitamin D comes from UV rays, with few foods naturally containing the vitamin, and vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency estimated to be 88% and 37%, respectively, globally. 5 Nutrition has the power to improve immune health worldwide, but how can the public and private sectors ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, have access to the nutrition they need to stay healthy and thrive? And how can this be achieved in a way that is safe, efficient and affordable? The far-reaching benefits of large-scale food fortification Food fortification programs have been shown to be one of the most successful and cost-effective ways of im- proving the nutritional intake of large population groups across the globe, and these initiatives can also help ac- celerate progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing). The WHO recommends fortifying rice as a public health strategy with a range of micronu- trients, including iron, folic acid and vitamin A 6 , and it is currently mandatory to fortify rice in a variety of countries including Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Philippines and parts of the US. 7 Some countries, such as India and Peru, have also introduced, or are in the process of launching, stan- dards for rice fortification. School feeding programs are a good example of nu- trition interventions in action. Millions of school children are chronically lacking the nutrients they need for opti- mal physical and cognitive health and development. 8 The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that around 305 million primary school kids in low- and middle-income countries currently benefit from school feeding initia- tives. 9 However, 73 million children across 60 countries still live in extreme poverty with no access to national school feeding programs, and school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to have further increased the number of malnourished children globally. 10 An in- vestment in future generations, school feeding initiatives provide meals fortified with multiple micronutrients at school to help improve children’s nutrient intake, support their immune systems and ensure optimal health, cog- nitive and physical development. 11 For example, school meals fortified with multiple micronutrients improved the iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 sta- tus of children attending a Chinese school and thereby reduced anemia. 12 According to a study conducted in a Cambodian school, multiple micronutrient-fortified rice may also improve cognitive function in children. 13 This can increase children’s potential to learn, as well as their performance academically and later in life. Meanwhile, workforce nutrition programs provide an opportunity for governments and employers alike to dis- tribute fortified, nutritious food throughout the workplace to ensure workers receive both the calories and micro- nutrients they need for optimal immune health, as well as mental and physical performance. This has the po- tential to improve employee productivity and decrease absenteeism – benefitting the workforce, employers and society as a whole. In fact, ensuring optimal nutrition and quality of life for today’s workforce creates a better re- turn on investment of up to US$ 6 per US$ 1 invested in workforce nutrition for employers. 14