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This study was conducted to assess compliance to fortification of sunflower oil and palm olein with retinyl palmitate. Fortified sunflower oil and palm olein samples were collected from large scale edible oil manufacturers and at selling outlets in Dar es Salaam region. Mean retinyl palmitate levels in fortified sunflower oil samples from manufacturer A collected at production site and at selling outlets was 12.42 and 10.19 mg/kg, respectively. In fortified palm olein samples levels were 21.58, 66.33 and 42.49 mg/kg at production site and 18.84, 46.54 and 28.40 mg/kg at selling outlets for manufacturer A, B and C, respectively. Based on East African Standard specifications for fortified edible oils 3 out of 36 samples (8.33%) collected at production site and 13 out of 39 samples (33.33%) collected at selling outlets were found to comply with the fortification requirements set for factory and regulatory limits, respectively. On storage, oils samples collected from production sites showed a decrease in retinyl palmitate with 11.09 and 10.87% after 3 and 6 months respectively in sunflower oil under normal condition. In palm olein samples retinyl palmitate concentrations percentage decrease were 21.22, 35.08 and 10.00% after 3 months and 22.61, 50.97 and 14.49% after 6 months for manufacturer A, B and C, respectively. Decrease of retinly palmitate in sunflower oil samples was associated with an increase of peroxide and acid value of 10.32 mEq/kg and 0.74 mgKOH/g after 3 months of storage and 31.57 mEq/kg and 0.96 mgKOH/g after 6 months respectively. In palm olein peroxide and acid value were 0.86, 14.88, 3.17 mEq/kg and 0.22, 0.71, 0.34 mgKOH/g after 3 months and 4.44, 15.08, 6.15 mEq/kg and 0.23, 0.79, 0.45 mgKOH/g after 6 months of storage for manufacturer A, B and C, respectively. Very low awareness was observed among edible oil vendors on handling of fortified edible oil. Authorities should ensure strict compliance by manufacturers and raise awareness to the vendors. |
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