ON FOOD fORTI - DOH Central Library - Department of Health

22
A Report on Food Fortification
THE STAR MARGARINE FORTIFICATION STORY
Dr. FLORENTINO S. SOLON
Executive Director, Nutrition Center of the Philippines
For several decades margarine has
beenconsumedby the Filipinopopulation.
According to a marketing survey, the
brand highly utilized (80%) was Star
Margarine produced by the Procter and
Gamble (P&G) Manila.Further, the survey
showed that about 37% of the margarine
users were children12years old and below,
most of whom were from the rural areas.
About 80%of the users of margarine used
it as spread on bread, approximately 20%
mixedit with hot·rice and 30% used it
for sauteing.
Star Margarine is about 80%
vegetable oil and the rest is water and
milk solid. It is shelf stable nonrefrigerated,
enriched with thiamine (B1)
and vitamin 03 (cholecalciferol). The
butter-like margarine uses beta carotene
ascolorant sothat some amountofVitamin
A is.present. The content of new Star
Margarine is similar to that of the old
Star Margarine except that the Vitamin
A content has been raised to a level of
431 ug RE per serving or 15 grams ( one
tablespoon). This amount of Vitamin A
is equivalent to 115% of the Filipino
recommended daily allowance.
The management of P&G Manila
upon the recommendation of Dr. Alfred
Sommer, Dean, School of Hygiene and
Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
(JHU), a foremost international vitamin
A expert, commissioned the Nutrition
Center of the Philippines (NCP) a nongovernment
organization (NGO) to
undertake a controlled field trial on
vitamin A-fortified Star Margarine. The
aim was to determine the effectiveness
of the fortified Star Margarine on the
vitamin Astatus of young children. The
study was endorsed by the Department
of Health (DOH).
-The double blind study was carried
out in six randomized barangays in the
municipalityofSilang,Cavite. Thesubjects
were 3-6 year old children. The specific
vitamin A status indicators e.g. serum
vitamin A, eye signs and dietary pattern
were taken before and after intervention.
The vitamin A fortified Star Margarine
(STAR + A)and a non-fortified margarine