[Food fortification with emphasis on the addition of micronutrients to wheat flour]

Nutrification of wheat flour with at least ten micronutrients has proven to be technologically feasible and nutritionally effective. Some criteria must be satisfied in order to determine if the food is appropriate as a carrier for nutrification in a country or in a particular region. The most important aspect however, is that to be sure that it is consumed by the population in need of preventive actions and control of specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In view of the fact that Latinamerican countries may greatly differ in this respect, such a question deserves careful scrutiny. The preliminary efforts and previous large scale trials in some countries, illustrate the most frequent problem: the main obstacle against successful achievement of many nutrification programs in the developing world has been, not the lack of technological and economical feasibility but he failure to take key decisions at political levels.