SUSTAIN originated as a volunteer-based initiative to share food technology expertise with developing country food industries. In 1999, SUSTAIN launched operations as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose goal remained technology sharing to improve nutrition in developing countries.

SUSTAIN's early programs, supported through grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), specifically sought to help food processors in developing countries improve manufacturing processes, product quality and food safety. SUSTAIN volunteers, drawn largely from U.S. food industries, provided requesting food companies with hands-on expertise in food processing, storage, packaging and marketing.

In the mid 1990's, SUSTAIN began to devote significant program attention to the pervasive problem of micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. This new focus coincided with a growing awareness among scientists and international aid organizations of the critical role micronutrients play in health and survival, particularly for infants, children, and women of childbearing age. As one of its first activities in this area, SUSTAIN worked with USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address quality concerns about the micronutrient fortification of food aid commodities distributed through emergency relief and development programs.

More recently, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as other private and public donors, SUSTAIN has initiated a food-technology based initiative to help reduce iron deficiency anemia in developing countries. SUSTAIN is providing technical support to regional fortification initiatives, including conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of iron powder fortificants most commonly used by food industries. In addition, SUSTAIN is sponsoring research and product testing to identify optimal iron fortificants for corn masa flour, a relatively new and increasingly popular product used to make tortillas in Latin America.