Who is Obaasima?
The OBAASIMA scheme was developed by the project ‘Affordable Nutritious Foods for Women (ANF4W)’ which is a partnership between the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the private sector in Ghana. The OBAASIMA scheme is coordinated by Association of Ghana Industries & Ghana Standard Authority who are also in charge of the seal registration process on their website.
The Need for Fortification
Around two billion people receive insufficient micronutrients from the foods they eat. “Hidden hunger” or micronutrient malnutrition, refers to the insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals, known as micronutrients. Malnutrition weakens the immune system and makes malnourished population groups more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Women of reproductive age, including adolescent girls, pregnant and breastfeeding women, have an increased requirement for micronutrients.
What are fortified foods?
These are processed foods that are enriched with essential nutrients to help give you more strength and energy throughout the day. OBAASIMA fortified foods contain 18 vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B6 & B12, Folic Acid, Vitamin C as well as Calcium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium and Zinc. Most often, people in Ghana are not able to follow a healthy diverse diet and some of the indigenous foods we consume tend to lose some amounts of the essential nutrients due to their preparation methods. Therefore, we don’t receive the full nutritional value from these foods. Fortified food products help to decrease the occurrence of micronutrient deficiencies.
