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Dr David Parirenyatwa

Lisa Shirichena Herald Reporter
The Government wants minute quantities of vitamins and minerals added to common foods to ensure that the five million Zimbabweans who suffer deficiencies reach their full potential automatically. The National Food Fortification Strategy 2014-2018 was launched on Thursday. Food fortification is the process of adding minute levels of vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc (micro-nutrients) to foods during processing.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in Harare, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said the lack of micro-nutrients had prevented more than five million Zimbabweans from realising their full potential as students, workers, parents and citizens.

“This launch is very vital as food fortification is socially acceptable, does not change the food’s characteristics significantly, does not require change in dietary habits, has quick and visible benefits, relatively easy to monitor while being cost effective for the Government with greater sustainability,” he said.

“I am informed, it costs less than $1 per year to protect an individual against deficiencies of the earlier stated micro-nutrients.” Dr Parirenyatwa said Government developed standards for fortification as they move from voluntary to mandatory fortification.

“More than 15 food industries are ready to fortify their different products and have been engaged in the process of putting in place systems and mechanisms for fortification programme implementation,” he said. “We want to make sure that fortification for cooking oil, maize, wheat flour and beer for all industries happens.”

Dr Parirenyatwa said micro-nutrients edification was the fastest way of improving the health of people. He said a vigorous analysis would be conducted on food products on fortification.

Speaking at the same event, Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe managing executive Mr Chipo Nheta said they were committed to food fortification and they will manufacture and distribute fortified food at no additional distribution costs.

“Government is encouraged to eliminate or lower import duties on nutrients required for the fortification process to reduce costs,” he said. The Micro-nutrients Survey of 2012 has shown that Zimbabweans, especially children and women, suffer from micro-nutrients deficiencies and 72 percent of the children below the age of five are iron deficient.