A food scientist and Programme Officer, Sodium Reduction at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Bukola Olukemi-Odele, has warned against the mandatory fortification of bouillon and seasoning cubes with micronutrients, arguing that the policy could pose additional risks to maternal and child health in Nigeria.
Olukemi-Odele said proposals to fortify seasoning cubes with iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12 as a strategy to tackle anaemia and neural tube defects overlook the potential health risks associated with the high sodium content of the products.
In an opinion article, she argued that using ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as vehicles for micronutrient delivery could further encourage unhealthy dietary patterns and worsen Nigeria’s nutrition challenges.
According to her, a single bouillon cube can contain up to 1,200 milligrammes of sodium, representing about 60 per cent of the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily limit of 2,000mg.
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She warned that because households often use multiple seasoning cubes alongside table salt when preparing meals, sodium intake could exceed recommended levels.
Olukemi-Odele said excessive sodium consumption during pregnancy could increase the risk of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, which can lead to severe complications, including eclampsia and maternal death.
Citing Nwagha et al. (2026), she said hypertensive disorders account for 16.7 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria and remain among the leading direct causes of maternal and perinatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
She also questioned the effectiveness of bouillon fortification in addressing anaemia, noting that despite voluntary iron fortification of seasoning cubes, anaemia among Nigerian women has increased significantly over the past two decades.
She cited data from the 2001 Food Consumption and Nutrition Survey and the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey, which showed that anaemia among women increased from 24.3 per cent to 55 per cent during the period.
The food scientist attributed the worsening nutrition situation largely to food insecurity, poor dietary diversity and declining access to nutrient-dense foods.
She noted that the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey reported that 79 per cent of Nigerian households were food insecure, with 57 per cent moderately food insecure and 22 per cent severely food insecure.
According to her, rising food prices and declining purchasing power have forced many low-income households to reduce their consumption of animal-source proteins, fruits and vegetables in favour of cheaper starchy staples.
Olukemi-Odele further argued that fortifying ultra-processed foods could create a “health halo” around products that remain high in sodium and other additives, while shifting attention away from the underlying causes of malnutrition.
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She called on the Federal Government to prioritise policies that promote access to safe, nutritious and minimally processed foods rather than increasing reliance on fortified ultra-processed products.
She recommended mandatory sodium limits and front-of-pack nutrition labels for bouillon and other processed foods, as well as encouraging manufacturers to reformulate products to reduce their potential health risks.
She also advocated increased access to affordable prenatal iron-folic acid and multiple micronutrient supplements through primary healthcare facilities and community health workers.
Olukemi-Odele urged the government to strengthen agricultural and food-based nutrition interventions, including the promotion of nutrient-rich staples, home gardening, fruits, vegetables and other locally available foods.
She maintained that Nigeria’s long-term response to malnutrition should focus on dietary diversity, food security and whole-food nutrition rather than relying on industrially fortified ultra-processed foods.
