Tanzania partners Sanku to enforce nationwide flour fortification
The regulations mandate the addition of iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B12, among others.
TANZANIA – Tanzania has partnered with Sanku, a non-profit organization and strategic partner of Millers for Nutrition, to officially begin enforcement of its 2024 food fortification regulations, aiming to drastically reduce micronutrient deficiencies across the country.
The regulations, which took effect in April 2025, require all packaging millers to fortify wheat and maize flour with essential vitamins and minerals.
The regulations mandate the addition of iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B12, among others, to help address the country’s high rates of anemia, neural tube defects, and stunting.
This nationwide enforcement marks a critical step in Tanzania’s strategy to combat malnutrition, which currently affects over one-third of children under five.
According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS), over 58% of children under five and nearly 45% of women of reproductive age are anemic—a condition linked to insufficient iron intake.
The launch event held in Ruvuma drew together key government officials, flour millers, nutrition advocates, and international development partners to mark the start of implementation.
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, this initiative is supported by Sanku (Project Healthy Children), having worked with over 800 small-scale millers in East Africa to provide technology and training for effective fortification.
The enforcement comes after Sanku has already established a micronutrient premix blending facility in Dar Es Salaam. During the inauguration in July 2024, Sanku highlighted that the facility aims to facilitate access to high-quality, affordable premix solutions for flour millers, marking a significant advancement in the region’s efforts to combat malnutrition.
Sanku’s “Dosifier” machines, low-cost, automated devices that blend precise amounts of nutrients into flour, have already been deployed in hundreds of Tanzanian mills.
With support from the World Food Programme and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sanku’s model includes ongoing technical support, digital monitoring, and subsidized premix supply to ensure millers can meet fortification requirements without raising consumer prices.
Millers who had already adopted fortification practices were honored at the launch as champions of the initiative, signaling a strong public-private alliance in tackling nutrition challenges.
“This is not just a policy, it’s a commitment to the well-being and future of Tanzanian families,” said a Ministry of Health spokesperson.
As enforcement begins, inspectors will work closely with local authorities and millers to ensure compliance, offering training and transition support. The ultimate goal is to reach over 30 million Tanzanians with nutrient-enriched flour by the end of 2025.
Sign up to HERE receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
