A coalition of flour millers has launched a programme to fortify wheat and maize flour, edible oil and rice with essential micronutrients. The millers’ nutrition programme aims to combat micronutrient deficiencies among Kenyans.
Under the programme, millers and food processors who do not meet industry fortification standards, including emerging millers, rural small-scale millers and small-scale millers, will receive technical assistance on food fortification. They will be trained on how to prepare high-quality premixes (a mix of grains and micronutrients) and use uncontaminated grains.
According to the World Health Organization, fortification is the practice of intentionally increasing the content of one or more micronutrients (such as vitamins or minerals) in a food or condiment, thereby increasing the nutritional value of the food and providing public health benefits while minimizing health risks.
Wheat flour enrichment comes in powder form as a blend of all the micronutrients, including Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate, B12, Iron and Zinc.
The coalition’s member millers, 40 percent of whom are corn millers and over 90 percent are wheat millers, receive free technical support in the form of customized technical training and business advice, as well as product testing support and online tools and resources to facilitate product enhancement.
According to IGNITE deputy programme director Tobi Durotoye, there are currently seven premix suppliers approved and accredited by the Ministry of Health, who mainly import fortifiers from Germany, South Africa, India and Turkey.
Mills should install micro-feeders in flour conveyors at least 15 feet away from the packaging point. The feeders precisely dose additives into the flour during the milling process, ensuring that the flour is properly mixed and uniform.
“Fortification is mandatory for all packaged flour but small and micro millers are yet to do so. However, some millers are receiving support from development organisations,” he added.
The programme comes at a time when the country faces threats such as malnutrition, unsafe food supplies due to aflatoxins, drought, climate change and rising food prices, leaving many people unable to access healthy diets.
Additionally, Kenya continues to struggle to adequately nourish its children, with high levels of zinc deficiency recorded, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey and the Kenya National Micronutrient Survey of 2011. Studies have shown that Kenyan children suffer from malnutrition, with 18 percent stunting, 5 percent wasting, and 10 percent underweight.
A 2011 micronutrient survey found that 62% of children were vitamin A deficient, 26% were anemic, and 82% were zinc deficient. 80% of women and 77% of men were also zinc deficient.
Durotoye noted that more than three billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, including more than half of preschool children and two-thirds of non-pregnant women of reproductive age.
Deficiencies in micronutrients such as iron, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A and iodine can lead to anemia, cognitive impairment, blindness and increased risk of disease and death from infectious diseases, he explains. These conditions then impact reproductive outcomes, development, educational outcomes and work productivity.
“Iodine is essential for thyroid hormones which are responsible for regulating brain development, body weight, energy levels, body temperature and hair and nail growth in children. Iodine deficiency manifests as goiter, weight gain, infertility, intellectual disability in newborns and reduced productivity, ultimately resulting in economic burden to the nation,” he says.
He points out that zinc is essential for physical growth, immunity and fertility. Zinc deficiency is linked to stunted growth in children, male infertility and increased childhood morbidity and mortality. Iron is essential for the production of hemoglobin and myoglobin, which transport oxygen from the lungs to the body and muscles, respectively. “Vitamin A is essential for strengthening the immune system and maintaining vision. Vitamin A deficiency significantly contributes to mortality from infectious diseases and can lead to blindness in children,” he adds.
He said there were now flour milling facilities in almost every constituency in the country, which should ensure supplies of fortified flour to address malnutrition. But small and medium-sized millers face technical and financial challenges that prevent them from consistently and reliably producing safe, nutritious flour.
Currently, about one-third of children and 42 percent of pregnant women are anemic, notes Harry Kimutai, director of the State Department of Health Services. “Zinc deficiency is by far the most prevalent in all population groups, with about 83 percent of children, 68 percent of pregnant women, and 77 percent of men being zinc deficient.”
The PS stressed that while there are other interventions such as healthy diet promotion, supplements and deworming, the Ministry of Health recognises the significant contribution of food fortification in managing micronutrient deficiencies at large scale and in the most cost-effective manner.
Trade CS Rebecca Miano noted that micronutrient deficiencies result in avoidable health consequences and that inadequate intake of micronutrients is a major public health concern affecting millions of people in Kenya and across the developing world.
“Quantifying the level of food fortification provides an opportunity to assess the nutritional status of the population and identify nutritional areas that need improvement. By investing in micronutrient fortification initiatives, governments will reduce the burden of disease and save lives while improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people,” she added.
But she points out that while food fortification is important, it should not be treated as a general cure for all malnutrition problems.
“For food fortification to produce the best results, it needs to be integrated into a broader nutrition improvement strategy that encompasses other interventions such as supplements, dietary diversification and nutrition education.”
