two african women looking at bouillon cubes in dish on table
Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes

A strategy to address micronutrient deficiencies

Reducing micronutrient deficiencies through fortified bouillon

The Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial (CoMIT) project focuses on evaluating multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes as a strategy to address micronutrient deficiencies.

The CoMIT project is testing the impact of fortified bouillon use, compared to that of control bouillon, on micronutrient status among women and young children in northern Ghana in a randomized, controlled trial. The project is also assessing the effective coverage, costs, cost-efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of this new micronutrient delivery vehicle vis à-vis other (traditional) vehicles and micronutrient programs at national and regional levels.

The CoMIT project is funded by Helen Keller International through the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Efficacy Trial Modeling

Why assess bouillon fortification?

Bar graph showing the percentage of households reporting any consumption of fortified food vehicles during a 7-day recall period, based on data from the Nigeria 2018/2019 Living Standards Survey. The percentage varies by household income for some foods like wheat flour, oil, and rice, but is consistently above 90% for bouillon among all household wealth quintiles.

Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in West Africa, particularly among young children, pregnant and lactating women, and women of reproductive age. Consequences can include impaired growth and development, and increased morbidity and mortality among infants and young children.

Bouillon cubes are widely consumed in West Africa, reaching communities where availability or consumption of other fortified foods is limited. Bouillon therefore holds great potential for addressing micronutrient deficiencies and their consequences in the region. While some commercial bouillon is fortified on a voluntary basis with 1 or 2 micronutrients, until recently limited information was available on the potential benefits or costs of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon. 

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Group picture showing members of the CoMIT Dissemination Advisory Group at a site visit in Tamale, Ghana

Policy Engagement
woman holding up and pointing to a document for another woman, both in traditional african style dress

Resources

More About the Project

research team holding bouillon cubes in the palms of their hands

Fortifying Bouillon Could Reduce Malnutrition in West Africa

The Nigerian government has made an important change to its food fortification program — a set of standards outlining that voluntarily fortified bouillon cubes must contain minimum amounts of four micronutrients: iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12.

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researcher taking the blood pressure of a participant

Nigeria Adopts Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cube Standards

An international team, including researchers from the University of California, Davis, worked with the government of Africa’s most populous country to model the public health benefits of fortifying bouillon cubes, a staple in West African cooking.

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bouillon cubes in yellow wrappers sitting on a table

West African Cuisine at the Heart of New Fortification Clinical Trial Led by UC Davis

The popularity of bouillon in West African cooking is at the heart of a major new UC Davis clinical trial that Adu-Afarwuah is conducting with Reina Engle-Stone, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Nutrition.

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