Fortification of maize flour and corn meal

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Fortification of maize flour and corn meal

Intervention | Last updated: 17 April 2023

Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.

Maize, also referred to as corn, is cultivated in most parts of the world, as it grows in diverse climates. Maize is an important cereal crop and together with wheat and rice account for 94% of total cereal consumption worldwide.

Industrial fortification of maize flour and corn meal with at least iron has been practised for many years in several countries in the Americas and Africa, where these ingredients are used in the preparation of many common national dishes. When appropriately implemented, fortification is an efficient, simple and inexpensive strategy for supplying vitamins and minerals to the diets of large segments of the population.

WHO Recommendations

Fortification of maize flour and corn meal with iron is recommended to prevent iron deficiency in populations, particularly vulnerable groups such as children and women.

Fortification of maize flour and corn meal with folic acid is recommended to reduce the risk of occurrence of births with neural tube defects.

Guidelines and guidance documents Learn More

GRC-approved guidelines

Fortification of maize flour and corn meal with vitamins and minerals

Recommendations on wheat and maize flour fortification meeting report: interim consensus statement

Guidelines on food fortification with micronutrients

Evidence

Systematic reviews used to develop the guidelines

Fortification of wheat and maize flour with folic acid for population health outcomes (protocol)

De-Regil LM, Finkelstein JL, Sæterdal I, Gaitán D, Peña-Rosas JP. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016; Issue 4. Art. No.: CD012150. (Review has been submitted for publication)

Global birth prevalence of spina bifida by folic acid fortification status: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Atta CA, Fiest KM, Frolkis AD, Jette N, Pringsheim T, St Germaine-Smith C et al. Am J Public Health. 2016;106:e24–34.

Fortification of staple foods with zinc for improving zinc status and other health outcomes in the general population

Shah D, Sachdev HS, Gera T, De-Regil LM, Peña-Rosas JP.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 6. Art. No.: CD010697.

Summary of this review

Micronutrient fortification of food and its impact on woman and child health: a systematic review

Das JK, Salam RA, Kumar R, Bhutta ZA. Syst Rev 2013;2:67–93.

Fortification of staple foods with vitamin A for preventing vitamin A deficiency (protocol)

Hombali AS, Venkatesh BT, Nair S, Peña-Rosas JP. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2012; Issue 9. Art. No.: CD010068. (Update has been submitted for publication)

Fortification of maize flour with iron for preventing anaemia and iron deficiency in populations

Garcia-Casal MN, Peña-Rosas JP, De-Regil LM, Gwirtz JA, Pasricha SR. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD010187.

Effect of iron-fortified foods on hematologic and biological outcomes: systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Gera T, Sachdev H, Boy E. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;96:309–24.