Maize is a dietary staple in many countries. Although nutritious in many ways and a good source of energy, typical maize lacks several key micronutrients (MNs) that are often added to maize meals or flours to enhance nutritional value. Many factors affect MN stability in maize products, including uncontrolled conditions during distribution, long storage times, and MN premix composition. Consumer preparation also affects the final MN content of food. This review summarizes research relating to MN stability during processing, transport, storage, and meal preparation, focusing on those MNs most often added to maize and maize-based foods. Significant losses in B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12) occur during manufacturing, distribution, and cooking. Added minerals (e.g., iron, zinc, calcium) are generally retained, although phytates in corn may affect bioavailability. Vitamins A and D3 are recent additions to fortification premixes for maize and are not well studied. Although there have been numerous studies of MN fortification in wheat flour, maize has not been as thoroughly examined, so recommendations are not as well supported. Future investigations should include well-designed and executed studies of the most labile MNs added to maize flours and meals, and their fate during all steps of processing, shipping, and preparation.

The objectives of the 2 studies were to determine the feasibility of providing home-based multimicronutrient supplements and their comparative effects on infants and children (6-36 months) in rural Honduras. Four multimicronutrient supplements were tested in 2008 and 2009. Anthropometric and hemoglobin values were main outcome variables. In 2008 and 2009, 188 and 143 children completed the study, respectively. Anemia was substantially reduced from 44% to 48% at baseline to 24% to 11% at the end of treatment. Weight-for-age and height-for-age scores were not significantly different among supplements tested. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate the feasibility of home-based micronutrient fortification with a significant reduction in anemia.We are very grateful to all the families and children for participating in the studies and to the clinic staff and volunteers for their dedication and support in the execution of the studies. We are also very grateful for the ongoing support from all the staff at NSRL.