Joining the Nov. 7 observance of National Food Fortification Day, Nestlé Philippines cited the urgency of tackling widespread malnutrition and reaffirmed its long-term commitment to addressing micronutrient deficiencies (MND) among young children aged zero to five years.
Nestle Philippines, the country’s leading manufacturer of food and beverage products, provided Filipinos with 25 billion fortified servings of its products in 2023, the highest volume in the manufactured food sector. Among these are nutritional products for young children, consisting of infant cereals, baby food and growing up milks.
Apart from protein-energy undernutrition, one of the most common forms of malnutrition in the country is MND, with concerning effects on young children.
A prevalent health problem caused by MND is iron deficiency anemia among Filipino children aged six months to under one year old, with an alarming incidence of 43.1 percent. This means that four out of 10 of the country’s children in that age group suffer from it.
Other serious conditions among young Filipino children include iodine deficiency disorders and vitamin A deficiency (VAD).
