The Flour Fortification Initiative, a global health group, on Wednesday called on Asian governments to pass laws to address the rampant malnutrition in the region by requiring food manufacturers to fortify their products with vitamins and minerals.

According to the FFI, millions of Asians are vulnerable to disease because of lack of vitamins and minerals. It adds that an estimated one million children under the age of five die in the region each year due to a lack of vitamins.

FFI coordinator Glen Maberly notes that previous studies have shown that food manufacturers play a key role in addressing this problem by fortifying their products with minerals.