Ololade Adeyanju/
Efforts to refocus the attention of Nigerians to the consumption of high-quality foods will take a new dimension from September 16, with the launch of the Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI) in Nigeria.
The MFI initiative developed under TechnoServe’s Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) programme, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) since 2016, is promising to be a game-changer in the promotion of consumer confidence in specific fortified brands of products.
According to the Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI), the MFI would achieve high-quality food production and boost consumers’ confidence.
Describing the MFI as an industry self- evaluation technology, CAFSANI stated that the technology would help food processors in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania to improve their capacity for producing and selling adequately fortified foods for local markets.
CAFSANI is a Non-Governmental Organisation established to inform, protect, educate, and promote consumer interests against the increasing incidences of sharp and unwholesome practices.
In a statement sent to NewsmakersNG, CAFSANI President, Professor Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, says, “Consumers continue to look up to the food industry for solutions to their food needs especially in the face of increasing industrialization and the burden of nutritional challenges. Despite the abundance of natural agricultural resources, the rage of hidden hunger – micronutrient deficiency, continues to be a major burden on the Nigerian populace! This has been shown to have a tolling effect on the national productivity, livelihoods, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Since the mandatory national food fortification program took off in September 2002 with an incentive to the industry sector, the objective of using food fortification as a nutrition intervention approach for eliminating the burden of micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria, has been beset by myriads of challenges. Industry groaning under the challenges of survival had clearly not seen this as a social imperative, nor the need to see that all steps are taken to ensure that consumers get value for money. Hence regulatory compliance to product label claims and mandatory regulatory requirements for the food vehicles has been a significant challenge, whether for flour – wheat or maize, edible oil, sugar, or salt, which are the four staple food categories being mandatorily fortified in Nigeria.
“There is no doubt that it is the responsibility of regulators to monitor and ensure industry compliance of fortified food brands to regulations. But, perhaps, because industry players did not see this as a win-win initiative, the program has had limited voluntary support before now due to a regulatory enforcement approach. The introduction of the new Micronutrient Fortification Index in Nigeria, with the objective of promoting consumer confidence in specific fortified brands of products – an industry self- evaluation technology developed under TechnoServe’s Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) programme, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) since 2016, is promising to be a game-changer in this area.
“The SAPPF program aims to help food processors in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania to improve their capacity for producing and selling adequately fortified foods for local markets. The program has enjoyed the endorsement and commitment of the CEO Forum, a coalition of the Nigerian Food Processing Industry and Nutrition Leadership Forum, since 2018.
“The MFI, a mark of quality excellence is premised on a tripod of Self-assessment (SA) – 60%, Periodic independent testing of products – 20% and an evaluation by the Industry Expert Group (IEG) – 20%. This assessment puts more performance burden on the processor to meet up to a minimum 60% mark.
“This is reported to have gone through a pilot phase in which eighteen food industries producing mandatorily fortified foods participated. It is a digitally-driven assessment that has received very positive comments on its efficacy and ability to contribute to quality product performance, ability to detect governance and operational lapses, as well as indicating areas of improvement. It is notable that this can help promote continuous improvement and therefore, closer conformance to the ISO 22000 food safety management standards by our industry, with its attendant benefits.”
