Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Enacts New Legislation for the Fortification of Refined Wheat Flour

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health recently introduced the Food (Refined Wheat Flour Fortification) Regulations (2022). The new regulations regulate the folic acid and iron fortification requirements of refined wheat flour for retail sale for domestic consumption and bread manufacturing effective January 1, 2024. The Sri Lankan government notified the new regulations (dated December 13, 2022) in the Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka – Extraordinary (official gazette) as published on January 02, 2023. Sri Lanka’s wheat millers have the capacity to fortify wheat flour as per the new regulations, as the millers are already producing fortified wheat flour products with different minerals and vitamins. However, the iron and folic acid fortification may increase the cost of production of wheat flour and may affect the flavor and consistency of bread and other products made with fortified wheat flour.