The costs and the potential allocation of costs of bouillon fortification: The cases of Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso

Food and condiment fortification programs are needed to address micronutrient deficiencies and their health, developmental, and mortality consequences; but these programs are never free. Knowing program costs and their allocation across stakeholders is essential to design and manage effective, efficient, and sustainable programs. We developed 10-year hypothetical bouillon fortification program cost models for Nigeria, Senegal, and Burkina Faso that included start-up and operational costs for government and industry, as well as premix costs generated by an embedded premix cost calculator to allow for alternative premix formulas in cost calculations. The main drivers of total costs were total bouillon consumption and the types and amounts of fortificants in the micronutrient premix. For a premix that meets 30% of Codex Nutrient Reference Values in 2.5 g of bouillon for vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12, zinc, and iron, the cost per metric ton of fortified bouillon was ∼$325 for all countries (∼$0.01 per 2.5 g serving). Annual start-up costs ranged from ∼$324k (Burkina Faso) to ∼$455k (Nigeria); nonpremix annual operating costs ranged from ∼$108k (Burkina Faso) to ∼$3.9m (Nigeria); and annual premix costs varied from ∼$2.4m (Burkina Faso) to ∼$76m (Nigeria). In policy discussions, program costs should be set alongside nutritional benefits.