Miano to food manufactures: Adhere to fortification provisions

Trade and Industry CS Rebecca Miano has urged food manufactures to ensure fortification requirements are met in a bid to supply Kenyans with nutritious diets. 

Miano said the micro-nutrient fortification index is a critical concern for public health even if it goes unnoticed often. 

"Inadequate intake of micro-nutrients is a significant public health concern globally and it affects millions of lives. The concept of micro-nutrients fortification index arises from the neccessity to address this issue for purposes of improving the health and well-being of our citizens," Miano said. 

"I urge food manufacturers to adhere to the laid down food fortification regulations and invest in technologies that will guarantee the delivery of accurate and uniform fortification of their products."

She spoke on Tuesday in Nairobi during the Millers for Nutrition launch in Kenya 

The CS said quantifying the level of fortification in food products gives a chance to assess the nutritional status of Kenyans. 

Miano explained that in fortification, micro-nutrients like iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamins and iodine are added to staple foods to improve their nutritional value. 

"Numerous studies carried out in recent years confirm that food fortification programmes help in combating conditions like anaemia and goitre. By fortifying foods, governments save lives," she said. 

Miano urged food manufacturers and millers to continue working towards a future where all Kenyans can access nutritious and fortified foods. 

She also called on Kenyans to embrace healthy diets saying fortified foods do not provide all nutrients a person needs. 

Food Systems Transformation and Food Processing Practice Global Director, Dominic Schofield, said if food is not safe and nutritious, then it is not food. 

He said about three billion people globally currently suffer from some kind of micro-nutrient deficiency. 

"Food fortification plays an integral part of a nation's strategy to improve access to healthy diets," he said. 

Ministry of Health Food Safety head Brenda Obura said in Kenya, there is mandatory fortification of maize meal flour, wheat flour, oils, fats and salts. 

"From the time we started mandatory fortification in 2012, we have seen a lot of improvements especially in the health aspect," she said. 

Oburu said stunted growth is a major nutrition concern in Kenya. 

"In 2014 we had 26 per cent stunted growth, right now we have gone down to 18 per cent in the 2022 survey," she said. 

Obura observed that foods are fortified with up to nine micro-nutrients.