Multi-micronutrient Fortified Beverage Delivered through the School-Based System Improved Iron Status and Test Scores of Children

Fortifying commonly consumed foods and beverages offers a great opportunity of filling the nutrient gap between actual and the needed nutrient intakes of young children. Ready-to-drink beverage as a vehicle for fortification is easy to administer, more consistent and least obstructive, because it can be consumed without further processing/cooking. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of fortified beverage on the improving of iron status and school performance test of schoolchildren. About 5,000 schoolchildren aged 6-12 years old from 19 schools in Quirino province, Philippines were invited to participate in the study. Samples of 4,875 children with parental consent were screened for hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels. About 4,495 children had complete participation in the school performance test, which were developed and administered by school supervisors. Children were fed 200 mL ready-to-drink juice fortified with iron, zinc, lysine, vitamins A and C for 120 d. The beverage was delivered through the baseline. At end of the intervention, only 1,050 children had complete data set and the anemia rate reduced from 100% to 60%. Iron deficiency has increased insignificantly from 3.6% to 4.5%. Mean percentage of test scores increased significantly between base and end of the study: English (40% to 60%), math (35% to 58%) and science (32% to 58%). In conclusion, consumption of 200 mL fortified juice drink had contributed to the reduction of anemia and increased tests scores of children.