by Jeff Kizilah
The private sector operators in the food processing industries as well as governments regulating agencies have pledged commitment towards increasing optimal levels in food fortification compliance.
According to Mr. IKE ILEGBUNE, Lead Consultant MFI Project, the essence of the MFI ranking, is that members of the public would have access to information about the fortification of the four staple foods, and help encourage companies to meet their fortification targets.
He also noted that food fortification will help prevent nutritional deficiencies within the population, and to replace nutrients that were lost during food processing.
The MFI is an industry-led initiative that seeks to simplify complex quality parameters on the efficacy and consistency of compliance with mandatory food fortification standards by participating processors of wheat flour, salt, sugar and edible oil in Africa.
“The Covid_19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine conflict have disrupted supply chains ,unpending the global trade of agricultural goods while three consecutive years of drought in East Africa has resulted in growing levels of food scarcity and hunger”. He added Mr.Ike Ilegbune while speaking in Nairobi during a workshop organized by TechnoServe.
Poor nutrition has continued to rob Nigeria of its growth potential, making investments in tackling malnutrition critical to the country’s future.
TAPP will provide technical assistance and advocate for high quality inputs to among others, large and small-scale millers actions are aimed at motivating this stakeholders to comply with the national fortification efforts to ensure access of nutrition by the consumers.
1993, Nigeria implemented the salt iodization policy and since then, goitre and iodine deficiency have been drastically reduced from a high prevalence of 67 percent in the 80’s to less than six percent in 2015.