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September 09, 2020

Wheat flour fortification in Egypt: During a pandemic

by Jessie Genoway, Food Fortification Initiative, USA

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the uncertainty of supply chains, increased premix prices, and trade restrictions have led some countries to scale back efforts to fortify grains with vitamins and minerals that strengthen individual health and whole economies.

Yet, the Egyptian government’s commitment to the health of its citizens is clear: despite challenges posed by a pandemic, Egypt is pushing ahead with the Food Fortification Initiative’s (FFI) support to restart the country’s wheat flour fortification programme, save lives, and bolster the economy.
 


Food fortification, sometimes referred to as food enrichment, is when food producers add essential vitamins and minerals, also known as micronutrients, missing in a population’s diet to food that people eat every day. Food is fortified to prevent micronutrient deficiencies that can limit a child’s academic achievement, reduce adult productivity, and cause disabling or fatal birth defects.

Fortification: A weapon against COVID-19
Malnutrition from micronutrient deficiencies is a pressing public health issue in Egypt: 20-30 percent of women are anemic; birth defects are three times what they could be if women had adequate intake of folic acid and losses in gross domestic product due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies are over US $800 million annually.

But the potential for fortification to dramatically improve Egyptians’ nutritional status is even greater: 90 percent of the population (90 million people) is reached by industrially processed wheat flour that can be easily fortified, providing a tremendous opportunity for Egypt to address persistent health and economic challenges.

More than ever, flour fortification with iron, folic acid, and other essential nutrients is a life-saving intervention vital to reducing the risk of malnutrition before, during, and after pandemics. The frontline of every country’s health system is the immune systems of its people. Several micronutrients, including folic acid and iron, may influence the susceptibility of a person to infectious diseases and the course and outcome of such diseases. Good nutrition helps boost the immune system, lowers the risk of becoming critically ill with infectious diseases, and supports faster recovery when infected. While more data needs to become available on the role of nutrition to the severity of COVID-19, the role of micronutrients in the optimal function of immune systems is well established.


Read more HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


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