Consultant –Baseline Market Survey of Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF)

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Consultant –Baseline Market Survey of Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF)

Location: Country Office, Nepal

Duration: Three months (deliverable-based)

Background

Guided by the legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller Intl works with communities to break cycles of poverty by improving health, nutrition, and vision. With more than 35 years of experience in Nepal, Helen Keller supports efforts to ensure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Although Nepal has achieved near-universal access to iodized salt, challenges remain in maintaining fortification quality, ensuring compliance with wheat flour fortification standards, and expanding fortification of edible oils. Strengthened market surveillance and laboratory verification are needed to assess the availability and quality of fortified foods reaching consumers.

To address these gaps, Helen Keller seeks a consultant to conduct a national baseline market survey of iodized salt, wheat flour, and edible oil. The survey will assess product compliance, market avail-ability, geographic equity of access, and laboratory capacity for micronutrient testing. Findings will inform the strengthening of food fortification monitoring systems and support future policy and program decisions in Nepal.

Position Overview

The consultant will lead the design, implementation, analysis, and reporting of a national baseline market survey on mandatory LSFF in Nepal. The survey will generate critical evidence on the compliance, availability, distribution, and equity of fortified food products across the country, while also assessing the capacity of national laboratories to conduct micronutrient testing of fortified foods.

The consultant will conduct field implementation, laboratory coordination, data analysis, stakeholder consultations, and dissemination of findings. The results will establish a national baseline for monitoring compliance with mandatory salt iodization and wheat flour fortification standards, inform future edible oil fortification policies, and guide government and partner investments in strengthening food fortification systems in Nepal.

Key Responsibilities

Preparatory Phase

• Consult with DFTQC, STC, FNCCI, WFP Nepal, and Helen Keller Intl Nepal to confirm institutional roles, government ownership, and inspector deployment.
• Confirm and document the 15-district selection; finalize 3-site, 3-outlet criteria per district tier including an adapted approach for mountain districts.
• Conduct the full laboratory readiness assessment (NFFRL, ZEST, relevant DFTQC regional labs) per Section 4.2.
• Develop standardized data collection forms: district, site, outlet type, vehicle, brand/mill, batch, pack size, fortification logo, label claim, unique sample ID.
• Develop or adapt a digital data collection tool to collect data in (4), aligned with DFTQC's inspection digitization agenda and Helen Keller Intl Nepal's existing app-based tools.
• Conduct national kick-off training workshop: sampling protocol, iodine spot testing, flour/oil documentation, labelling procedures, sample packaging per vehicle. Include a pretesting.
• Finalize laboratory agreements, air freight logistics for mountain districts, and sample purchase budgets.
• Produce Inception Report: confirmed district list, site criteria, field schedule, laboratory confirmation.

Field Data Collection

• Coordinate with DFTQC inspectors and field teams across all 15 districts in a coordinated exercise.
• Within each district: visit 3 areas; in each area visit 3 retail outlets/sites (135 retail outlets nationally).
• Salt: Collect up to 5 STC samples per district (varied batches/pack sizes); collect all non-STC salt; conduct iodine spot tests on-site; record brand name, batch number, pack size, retail price.
• Wheat flour: Collect up to 3 samples per mill brand per district; record full label information including fortification logo and stated nutrient levels.
• Edible oil: Collect all fortifications claiming oil products; record brand, producer, nutrients, stated levels, retail price. Document details of all other oils on the market in terms of brand name, producer details and production sites
• Attach unique sample ID to all collected samples at the point of collection.
• Package all samples per protocol and ship to designated Kathmandu laboratory.

Laboratory Testing

• Verify sample identification upon receipt.
• Conduct qualitative iodine spot tests on all salt samples (if not completed in the field).
• Prepare STC salt composites: minimum by district (15 composites); additional composites by batch/pack size as confirmed with NFFRL.
• Conduct quantitative iodine titration on salt composites at NFFRL; send QC duplicates to ZEST.
• Conduct qualitative iron spot tests on all flour samples (if not completed in the field).
  • Submit all wheat flour samples to ZEST for Fe, folic acid, and vitamin A testing as composite samples; QC duplicates to NFFRL.
• Conduct qualitative oil testing followed by quantitative testing for vitamin A using HPLC for positive samples.
• Reconcile primary and secondary laboratory results; flag any discrepancies.

Data Analysis

• Calculate district-level and national iodine compliance rates for STC salt; document over-fortification frequency against the 30–50 mg/kg standard.
• Analyze batch-to-batch and pack-size variation within STC product; identify distribution-chain patterns.
• Document and map all non-STC salt findings by district; estimate scale of border leakage at Banke and Parsa crossings.
• Calculate mill-brand compliance rates at retail for wheat flour (Fe, folic acid, vitamin A); map brand retail presence across 15 districts.
• Document non-mandatory mill flour findings descriptively.
• Compile edible oil catalogues by brand, nutrient, stated level, district, and price.
• Equity analysis: comparing compliance and product reach across district tiers (high-pop, mountain, border); identify supply chain breakdown points.

Stakeholder Engagement and Monitoring Scheme Design

• Organize a dissemination workshop with MoHFS, DFTQC, STC, FNCCI, WFP Nepal, UNICEF, and development partners to present findings and agree next steps.
• Engage miller associations and FNCCI separately on wheat flour compliance findings and technical assistance needs.
• Engage STC with salt batch compliance, geographic distribution, and border leakage findings.
• Facilitate the design of a sustainable national LSFF market monitoring scheme: DFTQC and STC roles; frequency; integration with DFTQC's digital inspection management system; reporting templates; estimated annual cost.

How to Apply

Qualified consultants are invited to submit:

• Technical proposal (methodology, work plan, team structure)
• Financial proposal
• Updated CV(s)
• Samples/portfolio of previous relevant work

Click “here” for the detailed Terms of Reference:

To Apply

Application must be submitted with all supporting documents along with detailed CV, two-page technical and financial proposal. The deadline for applying is November 13, 2026, by 5:00 PM Nepal Time (NST) at Nepal.procurement@hki.org

In the spirit of the extraordinary ability and vision of our founder, Helen Keller International fosters an environment of fairness and belonging for our workforce.

Helen Keller International is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.