1. 维生素和矿物质缺乏对全球的影响是什么？
维生素和矿物质缺乏是影响超过20亿人得到充分智力和体力潜能的一种“隐性饥饿”。
世界上20亿人存在严重的维生素和矿物质缺乏，使他们随时暴露在疾病，残疾和死亡中。
这些基本必需物质的缺乏让国民经济和疾病预防体系付出了沉重的代价。
维生素和矿物质的缺乏还使世界上数十亿人处于贫困之中。

2. 如果不对维生素和矿物质缺乏采取行动，代价是什么？
维生素和矿物质缺乏是全球儿童死亡的主要原因，尤其是在非洲和亚洲。每年有1000万儿童死亡，其中许多是可以预防的，营养不良占一半以上。
维生素A和其他必需营养素的缺乏，从胎儿期就通过营养不良和贫血的母亲开始影响其健康。及使他们能够存活，也极易患病，死亡或者智力和身体终生受到影响，成年后不能完全的回报社会。
整个国家将因此陷入贫困和疾病的恶性循环，给可持续发展造成障碍。

3. 解决维生素和矿物质缺乏的办法是什么？
强化－—即在主食品（例如盐，糖，面粉，油和人造黄油等）中添加必需的维生素和矿物质，每人每年只需要几分钱。
教育－—帮助危险人群理解为什么营养素如此重要，什么是平衡膳食，包括鼓励他们自己种植水果和蔬菜。
疾病控制——免受疟疾, 麻疹，腹泻，寄生虫等传染病，能够帮助人们保持必要的维生素和矿物质。

4. 食品工业能为面粉强化做些什么？
在工业化国家里，食品企业通过在主食品中强化维生素和矿物质，在控制维生素和矿物质缺乏中起着历史性的作用——例如食盐加碘。
现在通过技术共享，教育支持和政府动员把食物强化的利益拓展到发展中国家已经是一件很紧急的事情了。
食品企业也可以应用他们的产品，销售和市场技巧使强化食品被广大消费者认可并且可以负担。

5. 中国国居民的整体营养状况怎样？
2002年，全国营养与健康调查显示，在农村地区钙、蛋白质等必需的营养素摄入严重缺乏。微量营养素在城市和农村都严重缺乏。维生素A、维生素B族，钙只达到摄入量要求的60－70％。

6. 为什么说面粉强化是改善营养不良的最佳途径？
改善公众营养有三条途径，即合理膳食、食物强化和服用营养素补充剂。建立合理的膳食结构、食物多样化应是最主要的途径，但是由于受到经济发展条件、饮食习惯和营养知识等限制，要在较短的时间使全国范围尤其是在贫困地区实现目标就很困难；利用营养素补充剂也是一种能够迅速见效、方便易行的方式，但是由于价格较高还难于普遍推广；实行食物强化成本低、见效快、易操作，它对解决无论是发达地区还是贫困地区的营养素摄入不足都是非常适宜的。尤其是对主食面粉进行营养强化，可以在人们不用改变任何饮食习惯、不增添任何麻烦的情况下不知不觉中得到营养补充。当然，我们这里所说的营养素添加是针对微量营养素，而像蛋白质等宏量营养素的摄入仍应依靠日常的膳食。

7. 普通面粉和强化面粉的区别是什么？
从外表上看，普通面粉和强化面粉无论颜色、味道，还是手感都难以区别。加工成各种食品，如馒头、面条、饺子、饼等，在外观、口感方面也几乎没有差异。唯一的区别是后者加进了营养素，更具有营养，更有利于人们的健康。由于这些营养素都属于微量营养素，数量少、颗粒又极微小，用肉眼是看不出来的。

8. 各方面怎样配合推广面粉强化工作？
政府需要建立一个全国性的行动计划，并且评估现存的与此计划相违背的活动。
公务人员、社会团体、地方领导对社会大众进行教育，尤其是贫困地区的群众。
媒体、国家领导和受人尊敬的科学界权威需要大力提倡把消除营养不良作为国家发展和人权维护的一种重要措施。

9. 为什么要在面粉中添加维生素和矿物质，这种添加不会导致食品不天然吗？
小麦在加工过程中，维生素和矿物质被分离到动物饲料中去了。面粉强化只是将损失的部分重新添加到面粉中，并且此添加量能够保证更好的被吸收，帮助食用强化面粉的消费者避免维生素和微量营养素缺乏。

10. 面粉强化的成本是多少？
小麦粉成本10－20元/公吨，世界小麦价格在1，000－2，000元/公吨。如果一些面粉厂决定添加这些对人的健康有益的元素，但是其他面粉厂却不添加，这将会成为此企业的一种负担。但是如果所有的企业都进行强化，尤其是如果政府能够向人们宣传吃强化面粉的益处，就不是一个市场问题了。

11. 为什么要实行面粉强制性营养强化？
国际经验表明尽管市场通过较普通面粉较高的强化面粉价格来突出强化面粉是一种较为特殊的产品，但大多数消费者和面粉厂的客户在选择面粉时受其它因素影响，如价格、包装、口感、颜色和品牌效应，而不取决于面粉是不是添加了有益于人体的营养素。这就是世界上50多个国家实行全国性面粉强化，其中除了两家以外其他都实行强制性强化的原因。强制性面粉强化是针对商业领域的，强化面粉是作为一种公益健康产品，而不是一种单纯的针对某种特殊市场的产品。

12. 食用强化面粉的人能得到怎样的利益？
在中国以及世界其他国家，对强化面粉带给人们的益处有较为充分的科学研究。研究表明，膳食习惯使中国人口普遍缺少维生素和矿物质，而食用强化面粉是一种可持续的能够改变微量营养素缺乏的方法。 当然面粉强化不是惟一的方法。其它食品，比如铁强化酱油，维生素A和维生素D强化食用油，加钙饮料以及营养素补充剂都是十分必要的食品强化手段，它们共同作用更有助于中国全面的改善微量营养素缺乏问题。面粉营养强化是此类解决问题的途径之一但不是唯一的途径。

13. 强化面粉的利益是什么？
下一代中国儿童将会成长的更高大、更强壮、更聪明。妇女在工作中的疲劳感会减少，男女老少都会更健康。 我们的问题不应该是“为什么要搞面粉营养强化？”，我们应该问的是“为什么不搞面粉营养强化？为什么不马上进行面粉营养强化？”

14. 除了改善营养，营养强化面粉还能带来哪些益处？
通过强化面粉使营养得到满足后，直接的益处就是个人的健康状况好了，能够远离各种慢性非传染性疾病，个人生活质量得到明显提高；因为每个人的生活质量提高了，整个家庭的生活质量就提高了，不会再有“因病返贫”的问题；家庭是社会的细胞，每一个家庭的生活质量提高了，一个国家或者一个地区人的素质就提高了，经济竞争力也就增强了。

15. 如果我吃水果和蔬菜，还需要吃强化面粉吗？
水果和蔬菜的确是对我们的健康有好处的食品，内含多种身体必须的主要营养物质。但即使大量食用水果和蔬菜也不能防止铁、叶酸和其它维生素和矿物质的缺乏，这是由于人体不能单纯通过蔬菜和水果吸收足够的必需微量营养素。这就是我们需要把这些微量营养素重新添加回面粉的原因。

16. 吃强化面粉会对身体有危害吗？
通过面粉的营养强化，是最天然最安全的补充人体所需维生素和矿物质的方法。强化面粉采用的维生素和矿物质是限量添加的，只有非常微量的营养素被添加到面粉里面， 因此食用强化面粉不可能引起摄取过量的问题。当人体吸收了足够的微量营养素比如铁，如果继续食用能够供给铁的食物，那么人体就会停止对铁的吸收，这是人体的一种自有机能。人的机体能够很好的摄取所需的物质并拒绝接受自身不需要的物质。当缺乏症在人体中消除时，人的身体就会自然而然的停止摄取，从而不会造成伤害。通过添加铁、叶酸和其它维生素和矿物质的强化面粉是十分安全的，不会给人带来任何伤害。世界卫生组织和其它学术机构在这一点上做过深入的研究，并且给出了明确、肯定的评价。

1. What is the global impact of vitamin and mineral deficiency?
Vitamin and mineral deficiency is a “hidden hunger” that prevents more than two billion people from achieving their full intellectual and physical potential.
At any one time, two billion people around the world have serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies, exposing them to disease, disability and death.
The lack of these basic essentials imposes a heavy toll on national economies and on health care systems.
It also condemns billions of people to live in poverty.

2. What is the cost of inaction?
Vitamin and mineral deficiency is a major cause of global child mortality, particularly in Africa and Asia. Of the 10 million children dying every year, many of them from preventable causes, undernourishment shares the blame in more than half.
Deficiencies of vitamin A and other essential nutrients start to affect children while they are still in the womb, through malnourished and anemic mothers. If they survive childbirth, these children are extremely vulnerable to disease. They are likely to die or spend their lives stunted in mind and body, unable to contribute fully to their communities.
Entire nations are thus trapped in cycles of poverty and sickness, hamstringing sustainable development.

3. What are the solutions to vitamin and mineral deficiency?
Fortification - adding essential vitamins and minerals to staple foods (such as salt, sugar, flour, oil and margarine), for as low as a few cents per person per year.
Education – helping at-risk communities understand why nutrients are important and what goes into a balanced diet, including giving them support to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
Disease control – protecting people against malaria, measles, diarrhoea, and parasitic infections can help them retain essential vitamins and minerals

4. How can the private sector help?
Food companies have played an historic role in controlling vitamin and mineral deficiencies in industrialized countries through fortifying basic staples with lifesaving vitamins and minerals – e.g. iodine in household salt.
It is now a matter of urgency that the benefits of food fortification be extended to the developing nations – through sharing technical expertise, supporting educational initiatives and advocacy with governments.
Food companies can also apply their production, distribution and marketing skills to make fortified foods widely available and affordable in consumers.

5. How the overall nutritional status of Chinese State residents?
The year of 2002, national nutrition and health survey shows that the volume of nutrients such as calorie, protein essential to meet the requirements. In rural areas there is lack of it serious. Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in urban and rural. Vitamin A, B communities, calcium, have a certain degree of lack of satisfaction rates only reach 60%-70%.

6. Why flour fortification is the best way to improve malnutrition?
There are three ways to improve public nutrition, a reasonable diet, and taking nutrients to food supplements. Establish a rational diet, food should be the main means of diversification, but as a result of economic development conditions, diet and nutrition knowledge constraints in a relatively short time to enable nationwide especially in poor areas is difficult to achieve its objectives;
Nutrients supplements are also able to use a quick impact, convenient and readily accessible manner, However, because the higher prices also difficult to promote universal;
the Food and strengthen low-cost, quick and easy operation, it was developed to address both areas or poverty-stricken areas are inadequate intake of nutrients is very appropriate. Especially for staple flour to strengthen nutrition, people can not change any diet, and not add any trouble circumstances unconsciously been nutritional supplements. Of course, we are talking about here nutrients added to micronutrients, and as the volume of protein and other nutrients Wang should rely on the daily meal intake.

7. What is the difference between ordinary flour and fortification flour to the distinction?
From the appearance, it is hard to different the two kinds of flours, the colour, taste or feel is same. Processed into various foods, such as steamed bread, noodles, dumplings, cakes, etc., the appearance, tasting is almost no difference. The only difference is the fortified flour is added nutrient, the more nutrition, more conducive to people's health. Since these nutrients are micronutrients, small numbers, and an insignificant particles with the naked eye is not made apparent.

8. What does this mean in practice?
Governments need to develop a national plan of action and evaluate all current activities against that plan.
Public officials, civil society, religious and traditional leaders to engage in the effort to educate entire societies about the scale of the problem, with a particular focus on the poor and under-served.
Media, national leaders and respected scientific authorities need to advocate hard for eliminating nutritional inequities as a national developmental and humanitarian priority.

9. Why add these vitamins and minerals to flour - does it not make it unnatural?
When wheat is milled vitamins and minerals are separated out into the animal feed product.
This is just adding back what the mill has removed but in an amount that will be absorbed even better and help prevent the know deficiencies in the customers who eat flour products.

10. What about the cost?
Yes it a cost - 10-20 Yuan/MT of wheat milled and we know that the world price of wheat is between 1,000 - 2,000 Yuan/MT. If some millers decide to add this for the benefit of the people of China and others do not - it will be a burden and will influence the market against them. If all millers in China add this to the flour then it no longer is a market problem - especially if the government requires it and informs the people of the benefits of eating fortified flour.

11. Why make it mandatory?
International experience has shown us that although some markets will seek higher priced fortified flour as a specialty product most people and flour mill customers buy flour for other reasons like, price, packaging, taste, color or brand recognition - not on added nutritional benefit. That is why in the over 50 countries around the world that have adopted national flour fortification it is a mandatory requirement in all but 2. They are special cases unlike China. Making it mandatory levels the business playing field and makes it a public health good rather than just a niche specialty product.

12. Will it bring benefit to people who eat fortified flour?
The scientific evidence for the benefit is well studied both in China and in other countries of the world. It is know that the population in China lacks these essential vitamins and minerals in the diet and flour fortification will go a long way to correcting these deficiencies. It is not the only solution. Other foods such a soy sauce fortification with iron, fats and oils with vitamin A and D, calcium in beverages and vitamin and mineral supplements are all needed and together will bring a broadly based benefit to China. This should be seen as part of the solution not the whole solution.

13. What is the benefit of fortifying flour?
The next generation of Chinese kids will be taller, stronger and smarter.
Women will not feel so fatigued in the work place and everyone young and old will be healthier. The questions should not be - why should China fortify but rather - why not and why not now?

14. Excepting nutrition improved, what benefits else through fortified flour?
Getting enough nutrition by consuming fortified flour, the direct benefits are individuals health status is improved, prevent all kinds of chronic non-communicable diseases so that to improve quality of life of individuals which can be effected the whole family. There will be no family become poor again. Family is the basic of society, to improve the quality of life of every family, a country or a region will improve people's quality, economic competitiveness is enhanced.

15. If I eat fruits and vegetables do I need fortified flour?
Yes fruits and vegetables are good for us and have a variety of essential elements that promote health. People eating large amounts of these however will still be lacking in iron, folic acid and other vitamins and minerals because they cannot absorb enough of these essential elements from this food. That is why it needs to be added back to flour.

16. Will it be harmful?
Extracting the extra needed vitamins and minerals through fortified food is the most natural and safest way to get these.。These vitamins and minerals are added in just very tiny trace amounts - so that it is virtually impossible to get an overdose from eating fortified food. Over time if the body gets enough iron for example it has very good natural methods to stop absorbing as much iron from food even though it is added. The body is good at taking what it needs if it is available and rejecting what it does not need. Once the deficiency is overcome there is no added advantage in taking more - the body knows that so there is no harm done. Fortifying flour with iron, folic acid and other vitamins and minerals is safe and does not bring harm to people or populations. The world health organizations and other academic institutions have come out in the science literature to make that quite clear.