Hexagon Nutrition Limited has commercially launched VIT A+, a stabilised vitamin A palmitate formulation designed for large-scale food fortification in Africa, debuting the product at the Micronutrient Forum Global Conference in Accra on 28 September 2026. The product, previously designated PFH-VAP during development by Particles for Humanity, has now completed commercial-scale manufacturing validation in India and is ready for distribution across the continent.
The Technology
Vitamin A degradation during storage, transport, and high-heat cooking is a persistent structural problem in African fortification programmes, where mandatory schemes exist across much of the continent but delivery at the point of consumption remains inconsistent. VIT A+ addresses that gap through a proprietary encapsulation process that shields the vitamin A palmitate until consumption. Critically, the formulation integrates into existing fortification lines for bouillon cubes, wheat flour, and sugar without requiring new capital equipment — a meaningful commercial advantage for food manufacturers operating in cost-sensitive markets.
Scale and Commercial Reach
The validation campaign, conducted in India, confirmed that each production batch yields sufficient VIT A+ to fortify approximately 600 million food servings — a scale that underpins the unit economics necessary for broad market access in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Hexagon Nutrition, which exports micronutrient premixes and therapeutic nutrition products to more than 70 countries, will lead distribution and commercialisation across Africa, working alongside food manufacturers, fortification programme stakeholders, and development-sector partners.
"VIT A+ lets manufacturers finally deliver on the promise of fortification," said Vikram Kelkar, Managing Director of Hexagon Nutrition Limited. "We are enabling producers to deliver more consistent nutrition while helping strengthen the impact of food fortification programs."
Sherri C. Oberg, CEO and Co-founder of Particles for Humanity, framed the launch as a milestone for the organisation's philanthropically funded model: "We are proud to see the technology reach the market through our partnership with Hexagon Nutrition and begin supporting improved nutrition for vulnerable populations."
Industry Implications
For food manufacturers and ingredient buyers operating in sub-Saharan Africa, VIT A+ represents a commercially available solution to a fortification compliance challenge that has persisted for decades. Bouillon — a dominant seasoning format across West and Central Africa — is among the target applications, making the launch relevant to both multinational and regional food producers active in that category. The ability to slot VIT A+ into existing premix and fortification workflows without infrastructure investment lowers the barrier to adoption and could accelerate uptake within national fortification frameworks.
The launch is consistent with a broader industry trend toward functional and fortified food ingredients gaining traction in emerging markets, where nutrition gaps create both public-health imperatives and commercial demand. Observers in the global food supply chain will be watching whether the 600-million-serving batch capacity translates into meaningful volume commitments from Africa's large-scale flour millers and bouillon manufacturers in the near term.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
