Global malnutrition and cereal fortification, chapt. 9 : case study, Thailand

THIS CHAPTER DISCUSSES A SET OF FIVE BARRIERS THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED IN A FORTIFICATION PROGRAM: NUTRITIONAL NEED, COMMODITY SYSTEM STRUCTURE, TECHNOLOGY, CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY, AND INTERVENTION ECONOMICS. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO RICE MILLING AND THE UNIQUE SET OF PROBLEMS THIS PRESENTS FOR NUTRITION INTERVENTION. THE PILOT PROJECT CONDUCTED IN THAILAND SHOWED THAT NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCES EXIST IN A LARGE PART OF THE POPULATION. THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FORTIFICATION PROCESS IS AVAILABLE AND CAN BE USED IN A CENTRALIZED OR DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM. HOWEVER, FORTIFICATION IS NOT AN INVISIBLE INTERVENTION. CONSUMERS INTERVIEWED IN THE PILOT PROJECT VILLAGES SAID THEY COULD DISTINGUISH FORTIFIED RICE, AND THAT IT HAD AN UNDESIRABLE TASTE, ODOR, COLOR, AND COOKING CHARACTERISTIC. YET MOST SAID THEY WERE WILLING TO EAT FORTIFIED RICE IF IT WAS BENEFICIAL. THE MAJOR DRAWBACK OF THE CURRENT FORTIFICATION PROJECT IS THE COST. THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT CONSIDER MICRO- RATHER THAN MACRO-LEVEL FORTIFICATION. IN RURAL AREAS, THIS COULD EASILY BE DONE THROUGH DAY CARE CENTERS. IN URBAN AREAS, MICRO-FORTIFICANTS COULD BE ADDED TO THE RICE SOLD TO LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT-SUBSIDIZED SHOPS.