LAHORE: Highlighting the issue of malnutrition in the country, especially in Punjab, a high-level annual review meeting recently discussed strategies on food fortification in collaboration with Nutrition International (NI) and National Fortification Alliance.
A Punjab Food Department handout says the meeting was presided over by Khalid Mehmood Tipu, Additional Secretary Food and attended by representatives of the food department, National Fortification Alliance (NFA), Punjab Food Authority (PFA), Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), PCSIR, health department, owners of edible oil manufacturing units, and the Pakistan Vanaspati Association of Pakistan.
NI Deputy Country Director Dr Irfan Ullah initiated the discussion by addressing the current state of malnutrition in the country. He then presented strategies to combat this issue, emphasising its significant impact on the country’s population.
Dr Irfan elaborated on NI’s role in alleviating micronutrient deficiencies in Pakistan and underscored the importance of the Large Scale Food Fortification Programme.
He also mentioned NI’s collaboration with 970 flour mills nationwide for wheat flour fortification and acknowledged the crucial support of the industry, the food department, and PFA in this endeavor.
NFA National Coordinator Khawaja Masoud Ahmad spoke about various government initiatives to tackle malnutrition in Pakistan and the role of food fortification in addressing this issue.
NI National Programme Manager Zameer Haider highlighted his organisation’s efforts with regard to edible oil fortification. During his presentation, he elaborated on NI’s collaboration with over 150 edible oil mills to ensure fortification.
He also discussed how NI engages with and provides technical support to regulatory bodies to enhance their capacity in championing the cause of food fortification, particularly in relation to edible oil.
Talal Chaudhry, Executive Member of the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturing Association, commended the NI work and pledged unwavering support and commitment from PVMA to facilitate edible oil fortification and ensure a quality product for end-users.
Representatives from PCSIR, PSQCA, PFA, and IRMNCH also shared their efforts and initiatives to combat malnutrition in Pakistan, reaffirming their commitment and support for food fortification and emphasised a multidimensional approach to combat malnutrition.
In the closing session, Mr Tipu lauded the efforts of NI, NFA, and other stakeholders in reducing micronutrient deficiencies in the country. He briefed the participants on the current status of the Punjab Food Fortification Bill 2023 and reiterated his departments’ commitment to addressing the malnutrition issue in Punjab.
