Zimpapers Logo

Livingstone Marufu, Harare Bureau
More companies are complying with the directive to fortify their products despite resistance from other producers.

Nestle Zimbabwe and starafricacorporation have complied with the addition of nutrients in the manufacturing of their basic commodities to eliminate the prevalence of iodine deficiencies in the country.

Starting from July 1 this year, Government came up with Statutory Instrument 120 of 2017-Mandatory Food Fortification Programme-  where food processing companies were compelled to add nutrients to everyday foods such as bread, mealie meal, cooking oil and sugar to enrich consumers’ diets.

Millers and cooking oil producers have since rejected the programme citing an unnecessary increase of production costs by a 10 percent margin.

starafricacorporation chief executive Mr Regis Mutyiri told our Harare Bureau that, “The Company has already started to comply with the Government’s directive of adding some vitamins to improve the well-being of sugar consumers. The operating environment is not that favourable but customers’ health supersedes everything.

“Work is in progress to fortify Goldstar white sugar with Vitamin A as the way to enhance the value that our customers will gain from consuming our product. Some of the benefits from the Vitamin A include improved health to the skin, eyes and general immunity of the consumer. The fortification process started on July 1 2017.”

The food fortification programme aims to address micro-nutrient deficiencies which will help the country address the problem of malnutrition in people.

Micro-nutrients which are being added are Vitamin A, zinc, iodine, iron and folate help on the general well-being of a person to improve. Nestle communications and public affairs manager Mr Farai Munetsi said the company has already started fortification process way before it came into effect.

However, some companies are not ready to comply with SI 120 as they view mandatory fortification as an additional cost to an already overburdened industry.

Millers have approached Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the mandatory fortification programme and have since threatened to pull out of the $200 million Command Agriculture funding.

VP Mnangagwa who is the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition and leader of Command Agriculture has no yet responded to the issue.

Health and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa, who launched the fortification programme on July 1 2017, declined the request for deferment of mandatory fortification saying that preparations for the programme were initiated as early as 2013 through wide consultations.

Economist Dr Gift Mugano sees fortification as a luxury which should only be implemented after attending to the basics.

Companies that have already fortified or indicated their readiness to start the food fortification programme are National Foods, Grain Marketing Board, Mega Foods, Tongaat Hulett, Blue Ribbon, Parrogate, Gutsamhuri, Uni-Foods and Zim Source Foods.