Tanzania officially launches new regulation to combat malnutrition: All flour millers to fortify

In a landmark initiative designed to accelerate the fight against malnutrition and overhaul the nation’s food safety and quality standards, the Government of Tanzania officially launched the 2024 Food Fortification Regulations in March 2025.

The launch event, held in Ruvuma Region, was graced by Hon. Exaud Kigahe, Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, along with key national and regional leaders, representatives from international development agencies, local processors and community representatives.

This bold initiative signals a new phase in ensuring that every Tanzanian, regardless of their economic background, has an access to safe and nutritious food. This new law isn’t a gentle suggestion to the milling industry; it is a strict law for all millers, large and small alike, to fortify maize flour, wheat flour and edible oil. The clock, to fight malnutrition, is ticking loudly!

Mandatory fortification for all: No more excuses

The new regulation broadens the mandatory fortification requirements to include all levels of maize flour, wheat flour and edible oil production, particularly extending the mandate to small millers for the first time.

Producers now have just seven months to install the required dosing machines, procure the required nutrient premix, and integrate fortification into their production lines, ensuring a smooth transition to the new standards.

The message from the government officials is clear: ‘Time is up. Fortify or face full regulatory enforcement starting December 2025, or risk having your mill business closed!’

Key directives

Mandatory Compliance: All flour and edible oil production must now fortify with the approved micronutrient blends.

Seven-Month Countdown: A deadline is set for producers to adopt the necessary technology and inputs.

Universal Mandate: The regulation covers micro, small, and large-scale producers alike. The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has been ordered to implement full enforcement of these regulations starting December 2025.

Deputy Minister Hon. Exaud Kigahe made it clear: this grace period is the last chance for preparation. No excuses, no extensions. Millers who fail to comply will face stringent oversight, penalties, and even closure of their businesses for non-compliance.

This includes millers not fortifying, partially fortifying, or fortifying using counterfeit premix that does not meet the legal standard.

Technological innovations and localized support

To ensure seamless compliance, the government has facilitated access to state-of-the-art fortification technologies for flour fortification. Approved dosing machines, enabled with IoT cellular capabilities, offer precise, automated nutrient blending that minimizes human error and reduces premix wastage.

These devices are provided at no cost by entities like Sanku, a social enterprise that simplifies the fortification process for all millers and makes them compliant with the law.

Also, and in an effort to combat counterfeit premix in the market, the recently inaugurated Nutrient Blending Factory in Dar es Salaam bolsters the local supply of high-quality and affordable nutrient premix, with production capacity sufficient not only for domestic needs but also for export to neighboring countries like Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

What is available?

IoT-Enabled Dosifiers: Precision technology that drastically reduces human error and ensures consistent and accurate fortification.

Local Support Infrastructure: The Government-endorsed Nutrient Premix Blending Factory in Dar es Salaam is ready to supply the most quality and affordable premix, not only meeting the local demand but also positioning Tanzania as a regional hub by exporting to neighboring countries including Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

Enforcement and awareness: A two-pronged approach

TBS to begin full enforcement starting December 2025.

As part of the implementation roadmap, TBS has been directed to begin full enforcement of the new regulations starting December 2025. Hon. Kigahe emphasized that this timeline provides ample opportunity for food processors to comply with the requirements, urging all producers to take the grace period seriously and prepare for full regulatory oversight.

Rolling out extensive awareness and training programs

Alongside enforcement, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is committed to launching widespread awareness and training programs targeting all stakeholders, including food producers, local authorities, and consumers.

The goal is to ensure that industry players comply, and most importantly, understand the enormous benefits of fortified foods.

Evidence supporting comprehensive awareness campaigns

Recognizing that consumer demand is a key driver in ending hidden hunger. Development partners and civil society organizations have long stressed the need for robust public education on food fortification.

This is backed by compelling evidence; a 2015 baseline study by the Government of Tanzania and GAIN found that only 2.5% of households consumed fortified flour.

After Sanku installed 70 dosifiers in small mills across Morogoro, a 2017 study by Helen Keller International showed that household consumption of fortified flour surged to 72%.

In 2018, a CDC study in Morogoro region noted that 66% of households were already consuming fortified flour, linking increased folic acid intake among women to a lower risk of birth defects.

As of 2025, over 1200 small millers in Tanzania have been enabled by Sanku to fortify. But there is still a big gap, with an estimated 3000 additional small millers still needing to start fortification and be compliant with the new law.

These statistics underscore that when combined with informed consumer choices, fortification initiatives not only improve health outcomes by reducing risks of stunting, anemia, and birth defects (such as spinal bifida and hydrocephalus) but also boost the overall demand for fortified foods.

This dual approach, increasing compliance through enforcement and driving market demand through public awareness, ensures the sustainability and success of the fortification strategy.

In essence, while the TBS’s enforcement ensures that food safety standards are met, the awareness campaigns empower communities by demonstrating that fortified foods are not just a regulatory requirement, but a proven pathway to better public health and economic development.

Impact on public health and education

The new regulations also include a mandate that all schools incorporate fortified foods into their meal programs. This measure is designed to directly address malnutrition among school-age children, ensuring that improved nutrition contributes to better educational outcomes.

National statistics reveal that over 33% of children under five and 37% of women of reproductive age suffer from anemia, conditions largely linked to inadequate intake of essential micronutrients.

By integrating fortified foods into school meals, Tanzania aims to mitigate these health challenges and promote a healthier generation.

Education and health benefits

Mandatory Fortified School Meals: Directly targeting childhood malnutrition and enhancing cognitive development.

Reduction in Health Risks: Fortification is expected to lower incidences of stunting, anemia, and certain birth defects including neural tubal defects such as spinal bifida and hydrocephalous.

A continuum of efforts and future prospects Food fortification in Tanzania has evolved significantly over the decades. The journey began in the 1990s with the iodization of salt to combat goiter, followed in 2013 by the introduction of maize, wheat flour, and edible oil fortification for large-scale producers.

The new 2024 regulation now closes the gap by including micro, small, and medium-scale producers, ensuring that fortified foods reach every corner of the country. This strategic expansion addresses hidden hunger, improves population health and opens new market opportunities for Tanzanian products globally.

Globally, food fortification is recognized as one of the most effective approaches to enhance public health. More than 125 countries have adopted mandatory food fortification policies, with 93 of them specifically requiring the fortification of flour.

The policy aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is supported by the World Health Organization and the World Bank. In 2004, the Copenhagen Consensus panel of experts identified micronutrient interventions as one of the most effective development strategies, a finding reaffirmed in 2008 and 2012.

Studies show that strategic investments in food fortification have yielded impressive results in Tanzania alone, with household consumption of fortified flour rising from a modest 2.5% in 2015 to more than 66% following targeted interventions.

According to the Gates Foundation, every dollar allocated to food fortification yields an estimated $27 in economic benefits through reduced disease burden, increased income potential, and improved productivity.

A national call for unified action

In his closing remarks at the launch, Hon. Kigahe captured the essence of the government’s strategy, stating, “Food is nutrition. Food is health. Food is the economy.” He called upon all food producers to adhere strictly to the new regulations and urged government agencies and community leaders to utilize every available platform to spread accurate, accessible information on the benefits of fortified foods.

This unified call to action is designed to create an environment where improved public health and economic growth are achieved side by side.