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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
FOOD manufacturers have been warned against defying regulations on fortified foods with the Ministry of Health and Child Care saying they risk having their products removed from the market if they do not meet the required standard.

According to the Statutory Instrument 120 OF 2016: Food and Food Standards (Food Fortification Regulations) edible vegetable oil, wheat flour, maize meal, sugar and salt should be fortified.

Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Vitamins A and D to staple foods such as rice, wheat, oil, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.

The country adopted food fortification to prevent and control micro-nutrient deficiency disorders which is caused by lack of essential vitamins and minerals required by the body for proper growth and development.

Micro-nutrient deficiency is prevalent in women and children under five years, especially in rural areas.

Vitamin A deficient children under the age of five face a higher risk of death before their fifth birthday, while anaemia due to iron deficiency among pregnant women contributes to high rates of prematurity, low birth weight and infant mortality.

Cooking oil, wheat flour, maize-meal and sugar were put under compulsory fortification as the products reach up to 90 percent of the population.

One in three children are chronically malnourished in Zimbabwe and the situation may worsen amid Covid-19 which has forced the country to channel most of its resources towards preventing the viral infection.

Malnutrition refers to any condition in which the body does not receive enough nutrients for proper function.

In a statement, the health ministry said the SI is still in place and all manufacturers should be complying.

“Notice is hereby given by the Ministry of Health and Child Care to remind all commercial producers and importers of edible vegetable oil, wheat flour, maize flour, sugar and salt that SI 120 OF 2016: Food and Foods Standards (Food Fortification Regulations) is still in effect. The Food Fortification Regulations of 2016 (SI 120 of 2016) states that all edible vegetable oil, wheat flour, maize flour, sugar and salt commercially produced or imported should be mandatorily fortified with micro-nutrients as prescribed in the relevant Zimbabwe food fortification standards,” said the ministry.

“This is a public health measure to prevent malnutrition due to micro-nutrient deficiencies among the Zimbabwean population.”

The ministry added that: “In this regard, manufacturers and importers of the products specified above are urged to comply with the SI unless they have been granted an exemption by the Secretary of Health and Child Care as specified in the SI. Failure to comply will result in the Government taking relevant action including removing products that fail to comply with the standards from the market.” — @thamamoe