Webinar on Making Food Fortification Scalable and Sustainable Role of Partnerships

 Thirty percent of the world’s population is unable to realize their full physical and mental potential due to iron, iodine, and vitamin A deficiencies. Micronutrient fortification of regularly consumed foods is a cost-effective method that can reach huge populations. It is critical to identify a set of priority measures and to begin continual communication amongst the various sectors to catalyze the execution of schemes that will permanently eliminate micronutrient deficiency. The members of a national alliance must work closely together on specific topics including foods that can be fortified , promotion, distribution, and consumption. Such collaborations could benefit all sectors: National governments could reap national health, economic, and political benefits; food companies could gain a competitive advantage in an expanding consumer marketplace; the scientific, development, and donor communities could make an impact by achieving global goals for eliminating micronutrient malnutrition; and by demanding fortified foods, consumers empower themselves to achieve their full social and economic potential.

In the light of the above scenario NIFTEM in association with GAIN India & Hexagon Nutrition organized a Webinar on “Making Food Fortification Scalable and Sustainable” where the experts talked about the role of partnerships with different stakeholders to augment the foundation of Food Fortification.

Dr. Anupama Singh, Head of Dept. (FE), NIFTEM, welcomed all the dignitaries, faculty members, and participants who joined the program. The fruitful insights shared by our experienced and eminent speakers will invigorate the interest and create awareness at large-scale webinars and focussed talks like these will benefit the participants and attendees all across, she said.

Speaking about setting up the demonstration units & building the capacity of the Industry partners: Role of an Industry partner, Mr. Arun Om Lal, Sr. Vice President, Hexagon Nutrition, shared his perspective in detail. He highlighted that the 3 key reasons due to which a dire need for partnership arises to make food fortification scalable & sustainable are, Malnutrition, Hidden Hunger & Fortification of staple & processed foods. “The best vehicle to remove the hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiencies is Food Fortification as India has a very high burden of both malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. This method is cost-effective in terms of implementation and consumption from the marketplace & is a proven sustainable strategy to improve the health and nutrition status of all population groups”, he said.

He further added that Food Fortification is a science-based industrial process, that requires building the capacity of food industry partners to:

1. Understand the rationale for adopting fortification &
2. Acquiring the skills for undertaking appropriate fortification of staples

Speaking of the collaboration between GAIN, NIFTEM & Hexagon Nutrition, Mr. Arun Om Lal, showcased the scope of Hexagon Nutrition as far as the infrastructure and the collaboration is concerned. “We provide technical & appropriate financial support to set up the demonstration units for the fortification of staple foods such as edible oil, milk & wheat flour, within the center of Excellence (CEFF), set up at NIFTEM premises. This includes undertaking the survey of the premises by skilled consultants & preparing the blueprints for the demonstration units, and getting approvals from the stakeholders at NIFTEM & GAIN India. It also includes equipment manufacture, installation, commission, and maintenance for the demonstration units to be set up for edible oil and wheat flour fortification and the additional equipment for the milk plant, as per the approved specifications”, he further added.

Check out complete article at Hexagon Nutrition.