Mymensingh: A workshop titled “Food Fortification in Bangladesh” was held today at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), focusing on strategies to combat malnutrition and produce nutrient-enriched foods. The event took place at 11:00am in the Faculty of Agriculture Conference Room and was jointly organized by the Professor Muhammad Hossain Central Laboratory (PMHCL) of BAU and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Mohammad Gulzarul Aziz presented the keynote paper highlighting the alarming state of nutrition among women and children in Bangladesh. He noted the widespread deficiencies in essential nutrients such as vitamins, iron, zinc, and iodine, with over 22% of children and women suffering from vitamin D deficiency, 44% of women from zinc deficiency, and 42% from iodine deficiency. Dr. Aziz emphasized the urgent need for food fortification beyond salt, notably in rice and edible oil.
Dr. Aziz explained that food fortification involves adding one or more vitamins or minerals to food in precise quantities. Efforts are underway to fortify rice with six key nutrients: Vitamin A, B1, B12, folic acid, iodine, iron, and zinc. He also highlighted the importance of fortifying edible oil with Vitamin D to address Vitamin D deficiency.
The workshop was presided over by PMHCL Director Prof. Dr. Md. Amir Hossain. BAU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. A. K. Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan attended as the chief guest, while BINA Director General Dr. Shariful Haque Bhuiyan was present as the special guest. More than 150 teachers and researchers from various faculties of the university participated.
Dr. Ashek Mahfuz, Portfolio Lead for Large-Scale Food Fortification and Value Chain at GAIN, presented a paper on “Large-Scale Food Fortification in Bangladesh.” He pointed out that Bangladesh lacks a centralized hub for food fortification research, and the current focus is on biofortification rather than industrial fortification. Efforts are being made to encourage farmers to grow biofortified rice and enrich pulses with zinc and iron.
While acknowledging the practice of adding Vitamin A to edible oil and iodine to salt, Dr. Mahfuz stressed the need for research to determine the actual absorption of these nutrients by consumers.
BAU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. A. K. Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan praised the initiative and emphasized the importance of public awareness. He highlighted the prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer due to poor nutrition and pledged support for the initiative. He also called for coordinated research efforts, suggesting that integrated projects could yield faster results and emphasizing the need for government intervention for lasting impact.