National Food Consumption Survey-Fortification Baseline (NFCS-FB-I): South Africa, 2005

Abstract

One of the recommendations of the National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) was that due consideration should be given to initiating a programme of food fortification with a view to addressing micronutrient deficiencies in the country. The Directorate: Nutrition of the Department of Health, following extensive consultations with local and overseas experts, issued a Tender for a national survey with the aim of establishing baseline information on the predisposition of people to food fortification as well as establishing selected blood micronutrient values in children aged 1 – 9 years and women of child bearing age. The nine Universities teaching Nutrition/Dietetics in the country and the Medical Research Council (MRC), all part of an existing Consortium, the National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS), now named the National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) - Fortification Baseline (NFCS-FB-I) tendered for the survey and was awarded the Tender. This report summarizes the key findings of this national survey. There is potential for additional analysis of the database on many other specific issues within the framework of the available parameters studied. Any such analyses will form part of the survey’s capacity building component, additional to the one, the survey has already created.