GLOBAL Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), an organisation with a focus on eradicating malnutrition across the world, has described the new food fortification standards for flour and their products launched by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) as a panacea to the country’s maternal newborn and child health challenges.

Speaking on behalf of Dr Francis Aminu, Country Manager, GAIN Nigeria, at the formal launch of the fortification guidelines in Lagos, Uduak Igbeka, an associate of the company, said the new standards have effectively reviewed the levels of folic acid, zinc and vitamin A inclusion in flour and flour products to meet acceptable international standard.

According to Aminu, this new development will help to reduce the worrisome trend of iron-deficiency anaemia in millions of under-five children in Nigeria, stressing that the inclusion of folic acid in micronutrients premix will help to improve maternal and newborn health issues by reducing the problem of birth defects in Nigeria.

He pointed out that compliance to the new standards by manufacturers would have far reaching effects on the overall wellbeing of the consumers as well as help to improve the country’s economy by the eradication of substandard products.

He said: “GAIN will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders as they begin to implement and sustain the revised standards for flour with a view to improving social awareness campaigns aimed at expanding consumer awareness on the benefits of eating fortified foods.”

Earlier, Director-General of SON, Dr Joseph Odumodu, while introducing the new fortification guidelines along with four new SON certification logos, commended GAIN, the National Fortification Alliance (NFA) and other stakeholders for their partnership and efforts towards eradicating malnutrition and substandard products from Nigerian markets.