Quality Control to Enable Successful Vitamin A Fortification of Cooking Oil in Indonesia - A Pilot Program in Two Rural Districts
Drajat Martianto
Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia and Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia.
Soeroso Natakusuma
Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia.
Sunawang Rahardjo
Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia.
Idrus Jus'at
Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia and Esa Unggul University, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Damayanti Soekarjo
SAVICA Public Health Nutrition & Communication Consultancy, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Ning Pribadi
Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia.
Robert Tilden
Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia and University of Indonesia, School of Public Health, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Eline Korenromp
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Geneva, Switzerland.
Ravi Menon
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Geneva, Switzerland.
Regina Moench-Pfanner
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Geneva, Switzerland.
Trihono Trihono
National Health and Development Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Soekirman Soekirman *
Indonesian Nutrition Foundation for Food Fortification (KFI), Jakarta, Indonesia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
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.