Cereal Millers Association unveil innovative Food fortification to address malnutrition

Nairobi, Thursday June 15, 2023

KNA by Daisy Masinde/Susan Wanjiru

Cereal Millers Association (CMA) has partnered with TechnoServe Technical Assistance Accelerator Program (TAAP), an international non-profit organization in an initiative that will see all flour millers provide consumers with greater access to nutritious and sufficiently fortified food products.

The two partners aim to achieve this by facilitating and strengthening the initiative that includes other staple foods through involving all millers’ participation in a self-regulatory and award scheme, where they will be required to place improved nutrition at the core of their brand-building efforts and project a mark of quality to consumers.

Cereal Millers Association Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandes said the Association advocates for all regulators involved and demanding for more nutritious food, noting that their full participation will scale up fortification and the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI).

She emphasized, “We do not need to be mandated to produce safe and nutritious food. It should be part of what we do and we must always keep doing the right things.”

The CEO was speaking during the launch of the 1st Annual Kenya Food Processing and Nutrition Leadership Chief Executive Officers forum which brought together stakeholders from the private sector, government, and civil society that was held at a Nairobi hotel.

The forum aims to highlight the role of millers in supporting nutrition, reduce malnutrition, to improve public health and address shared challenges.

Fernandes said working hand-in-hand with CMA millers to bolster industry compliance to meet mandatory national standards of fortification, the initiative recognizes that improving nutrition requires a business perspective and engaging food processors as an influential ally.

KMFI’s launch follows TechnoServe's funding by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that is working with leading food processors across eight countries in Africa and Asia to improve nutrition at scale through the sustainable adoption of fortification practices.

In his address, Maisha Flour Millers Chief Executive Officer Mr. Kamaldeep Singh said CMA, which represents about 40 percent of the total maize milling capacity and over 90 percent of wheat milling capacity in Kenya, has become a key partner in providing safe, affordable, and high-quality cereal flour, including maize and wheat to the country’s population.

He said, “The association has taken initiatives aimed at self-regulation and remains committed to serving as a pioneer in establishing the food fortification program in Kenya.”

Singh however, noted that the negative publicity resulting from increased scrutiny by regulators and the media on issues related to aflatoxin mitigation and food fortification has contributed to the loss of business to millers, lower consumer confidence, and erosion of reputation for many CMA members’ brands.

According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS, 2022), the prevalence of stunting has reduced from 26 percent in 2014 to 18 percent in 2022, which is attributed to food fortification efforts.

The survey also indicates that a total of 18 percent of children under age five are still stunted, or too short for their age, a sign of chronic undernutrition, a total of 32 percent of children were found to be anemic, posing a threat to their learning abilities and increasing risk of infections due to a compromised immunity.

According to the World Health Organization, Large Scale Food Fortification is a proven strategy to address malnutrition at large scale and entails a process of deliberately increasing the content of one or more micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in widely consumed staple foods.

In 2005, the Kenya National Food Fortification Alliance was formed to spearhead the country's planning, implementation, and monitoring of fortification initiatives.

Courtesy ; K. N. A