Egypt launches program to fortify subsidized bread against iron deficiency

The government launched on Monday a national program against iron deficiency that will fortify subsidized bread in a program led by the Supply Ministry in collaboration with the Health Ministry and with support from the World Food Program (WFP).

Food insecurity and malnutrition are on the rise in Egypt, according to a United Nations report released last year which noted that 28.3 percent of women aged 15 to 49 suffer from anemia nationwide.

The new program aims to address health issues linked to nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron, according to a statement from the Supply Ministry. 

A source in the Supply Ministry told Mada Masr that the fortified bread — enhanced with iron and folic acid — will be distributed in 13 governorates with the highest anemia rates, as identified by a Health Ministry survey.

Hussein al-Boudi, head of the Mills Division, told Mada Masr that the Supply Ministry began distributing iron and folic acid rations to supply mills last August, along with specialized equipment to mix vitamins with flour. Each ton of flour is set to incorporate 200 grams of iron, but mills have yet to receive official instructions to begin adding it to subsidized bread flour.

Bread and oil are the most widely consumed commodities in Egypt, former Supply Ministry advisor Nomani Nasr told Mada Masr, making them key targets for such interventions. 

The WFP previously supported a similar bread fortification initiative in Egypt from 2008 to 2014 and ran another program between 2010 and 2016 to enrich subsidized oil with vitamins D and A, aimed at improving iron absorption.

Around two thirds of Egypt’s population — or nearly 70 million people — are eligible for the bread subsidy program, which guarantees qualified households the price of a daily quota of staple loaves at around LE0.20 each. 

The cost-per-loaf was hiked by 300 percent last year, as the government pares back expenditure on subsidies in line with structural adjustments recommended by the International Monetary Fund.