Micronutrient deficiencies remain one of the most persistent and widespread public health challenges of our time. Often described as “hidden hunger”, they affect billions of people worldwide, undermining health, educational attainment, productivity and economic opportunity.
Many countries have adopted large-scale food fortification (LSFF) as part of their policy response to micronutrient deficiencies. When appropriately designed and implemented alongside complementary interventions such as dietary diversification, supplementation and nutrition education, fortification can provide a cost-effective means of improving micronutrient intake at population scale.
This report is part of an OECD project on the regulatory governance of LSFF. Under this project, the OECD examines how the choice, design, implementation and oversight of LSFF policy can be strengthened across a wide range of regional and socioeconomic contexts. Building on the Measurement Framework for the Regulatory Governance of Large-Scale Food Fortification, published in 2024, these Good Practice Principles set out a whole-of-system approach to support governments in determining whether large-scale food fortification is an appropriate policy option, and if it is, to provide guidance in designing and implementing an effective regulatory framework.
The work on regulatory policy at the OECD is conducted under the supervision of the Regulatory Policy Committee, whose mandate is to assist both Members and non-Members in building and strengthening capacity for regulatory quality and regulatory reform. This report forms part of the OECD RPC’s Best Practice Principles series. A draft of these principles was discussed by the OECD Regulatory Policy Committee in April 2026 and subsequently underwent a public consultation in May and June 2026. Following revisions, a final version was approved by the Committee in October 2026. The OECD Secretariat gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Gates Foundation for this work.