Lagos: The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has announced that the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) platform is bolstering the monitoring of food fortification efforts, enhancing traceability, and allowing for the swift identification of non-compliance among food producers. Victoria Nsofor, Deputy Director of the Nutrition Division at SON, highlighted these advancements during a panel session at the 56th Annual Scientific Conference and General Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) in Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the panel session, organized by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, focused on the theme ‘Scaling Digital Fortification Quality and Traceability Plus (DFQT+): Revolutionising Compliance, Transparency, and Regulatory Oversight in Nigeria’s Large-Scale Food Fortification Programme’. DFQT+ serves as a digital platform where stakeholders, including premix and food producers as well as government agencies, can upload, assess, and share accurate food fortification data.
The platform is a significant advancement in addressing longstanding challenges within Nigeria’s food fortification ecosystem by improving the quality tracking of fortified foods from production to market. Nsofor emphasized that DFQT+ provides regulators with centralized access to fortification and quality-control data, reducing the need for frequent factory visits. This centralized data system allows for more targeted supervision and quicker identification of quality issues.
Nsofor noted that the previous system was fragmented, with data held separately by various agencies, which delayed investigations. The DFQT+ platform, she explained, facilitates easier detection of non-conformities and allows regulators to track issues back to their source more efficiently. However, Nsofor also pointed out challenges related to inconsistent participation by some private-sector operators, particularly among edible oil manufacturers and premix suppliers, in updating their quality-control activities.
Despite these challenges, Nsofor expressed optimism that full compliance would be restored among these producers. She stressed the importance of cooperation among co-regulators and the need for shared data to make the system effective.
Additionally, Mrs. Eva Edwards, Director of the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), mentioned that compliance gaps are hindering the impact of the fortification program. Edwards highlighted the importance of Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) as a cost-effective solution to micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria. She reiterated that DFQT+ acts as an enabling tool for faster and more transparent compliance rather than replacing statutory authority.
Dr. Nkechi Mba, Director of Quality Assurance and Development at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), indicated that DFQT+ has improved regulatory efficiency, ensuring that standard foods reach consumers. Adetola Otunla, Project Coordinator for Large-Scale Food Fortification at GAIN, added that the DFQT+ platform promotes real-time data sharing and enhances transparency, trust, and accountability across the food value chain, thereby contributing to healthier populations.
The initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation and implemented by GAIN, provides actionable data critical for achieving the public health impact of fortified foods. GAIN collaborates with regulatory bodies such as NAFDAC, SON, and FCCPC, as well as private producers like PZ Wilmar, Sunola Oil, and Apple and Pears Ltd.