Today, over 100 countries have mandatory food fortification programmes; however, information on how well those programmes are working is limited in most countries. Fortification programmes are proven to have an impact on nutrition, but this impact can only be realised if nutrient intakes increase among those with inadequate intakes. Knowing the quality, coverage, and consumption patterns of fortified foods is critical to understand whether programmes will reach their potential.
Motivated by the need for such information for its own programmes, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) developed the Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT) in 2013 for carrying out coverage assessments of fortification programmes. The FACT consists of a manual and 10 practical tools and templates that provides standardised methods for the collection, analysis, and synthesis of data on quality, coverage, and consumption of fortified foods across countries while allowing for adaptations to meet specific country needs and contexts. Specifically, it provides step-by-step guidance on how to decide, design, and conduct a FACT survey. Information generated by a FACT survey can be used by decision makers to improve fortification programmes by documenting successes and identifying gaps.