Kenyans have been urged to buy packaged flour that is fortified and labelled.
This will improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal health risks.
Dr Andrew Mulwa, acting director, of Medical Services/Preventive and Promotive Health, at the Ministry of Health, said fortification of maize and wheat flour was made mandatory in 2012.
Speaking on Friday during the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition’s 20th anniversary, Mulwa said so far, over 80 per cent of the food sold in the market is fortified with Vitamin A.
He said this has been a process and while most of the big millers have complied, small-scale millers are not doing so due to the high cost of the technology.
“The Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Trade have been working with support from development partners to improve nutrition and food ecosystem markets,” Mulwa said.
“There is still a lot that needs to be done, but Kenya has made major strides in ensuring that food has the required nutrients, especially vitamin A.”
According to the World Health Organisation fortification is the process of deliberately increasing the content of one or more micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in food.
Data from the Ministry of Health shows that food fortification started with voluntary salt iodisation in 1972.
This is after a survey carried out in 1962-64 reported high rates of goitre.
In 1978, salt iodisation was made mandatory and this led to a significant drop in the prevalence of goitre.
In 2005, the Kenya National Food Fortification Alliance was formed to spearhead the planning, implementation, and monitoring of fortification initiatives in the country.
The alliance comprised members from the Ministry of Health, Kenya Bureau of Standards, research institutions, UN agencies, development partners and umbrella bodies from the cereal millers, salt and oil industries.
In 2012, fortification standards were set and legislation was passed making it mandatory for the fortification of maize, wheat, and oil.
Leah Kaguara, GAIN country director said only 40 per cent of millers in the country are doing maize and wheat flour fortification as required by law.
GAIN is a Swiss-based foundation started at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle malnutrition by fortifying foods such as flour, oil and salt.
“Most big millers have complied with the food fortification regulation. This is because they have the technology and the means to comply unlike many small and medium scale millers who cannot afford the expensive technology,” she said.
“When you buy and cook it, you should be comfortable that it is fortified with the minerals and micro-nutrients you need for a healthy body.”
Kaguara said they are working closely with the county governments to address the compliance challenge.
“There are millers who can access the fortificants (chemical form of the nutrients being added) and they have the technology to fortify but they do not want to comply as required by law,” she said.
“Since health is devolved, counties are making sure that public health officers and nutritionists are doing what it takes to ensure that there is compliance. This is done through sensitisation and health surveillance.”
Kaguara said GAIN is keen on making sure that people affected by malnutrition can have access to safe and nutritious food.
“We do this by ensuring that the staples are fortified with the necessary micro-nutrients and minerals that help to build the human body,” she said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
