NaNA Leads Nationwide Food Fortification Monitoring Exercise

NaNA Leads Nationwide Food Fortification Monitoring Exercise
The National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) has begun a five-day nationwide monitoring exercise to assess compliance with The Gambia’s food fortification regulations.
The exercise is being led by NaNA Director General Malang Fofana, together with stakeholders of the National Alliance on Food Fortification.
The monitoring is one of the key components of the Food Fortification Regulation 2020, which seeks to ensure compliance by food producers and other actors with national fortification standards, as part of efforts to combat micronutrient deficiencies in the country.
During the exercise, the monitoring team visited the Nassim Flour Mill factory in Banjul, the Giboro and Soma border posts, and a salt production centre in Foni Bintang Karanai in the West Coast Region.
The exercise comes against the backdrop of a recent survey conducted in July 2026 by NaNA, the Food Safety and Quality Authority and other stakeholders, which revealed a low rate of compliance with food fortification requirements.
According to the survey findings, 96 percent of salt, 91.9 percent of wheat flour and 75.8 percent of edible oil consumed in The Gambia were found to be unfortified.
Officials say the findings are a major concern, warning that continued consumption of unfortified foods could have serious health implications for the population, particularly pregnant women and children under five, who are among the groups most vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.
The monitoring exercise is therefore aimed at identifying the factors contributing to the low compliance rate, assessing the practices of producers and suppliers, and strengthening enforcement of the country’s food fortification requirements.
Food fortification is considered an important public health intervention for preventing micronutrient deficiencies by adding essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods.
At the end of the five-day exercise, a comprehensive report will be prepared detailing the findings and recommendations.
The report will subsequently be shared with relevant stakeholders to facilitate immediate action and strengthen compliance with food fortification standards across the country.
NaNA and its partners say sustained monitoring, enforcement and collaboration among key actors will be critical to ensuring that fortified foods reach consumers and contribute to reducing micronutrient deficiencies in The Gambia.