Miller Magazine Issue: 115 July 2019

54 COVER STORY MILLER / JULY 2019 flour . Overall, the benefits of flour fortification signifi- cantly outweigh the investment required. Adding folic acid to the volume of flour consumed in the US each year could, for instance, prevent 767 live births with spina bifida . While the costs of fortifying this amount of flour total just over USD$ 4 million a year, this in- tervention saves around USD$ 607.3 million a year in healthcare costs . In this case, this represents a return on investment (ROI) of almost USD$ 152 per USD $1 spent. The do’s and don’ts for flour fortification The process of flour fortification is simple when ap- proached with the necessary technical know-how and expertise. Instead of adding vitamins and minerals indi- vidually, it is typically much more effective to formulate with a premixed blend suitable for flour fortification. This eliminates the need for quality control procedures for raw materials as a dedicated premix supplier will provide an effective quality assurance system. It often lowers the cost of fortification as fewer products have to be purchased, transported and stored, and it also allows for enhanced consistency and homogenous distribution of the micronutrients. This is essential to not only avoid negative impacts on the sensorial char- acteristics of the final product, but also to ensure the same dosage is added to every batch. Poor mixing could result in some people receiving too few vitamins or minerals to be beneficial for their health, render- ing the intervention ineffective. Establishing effective quality control measures are therefore crucial to the success of wheat flour fortification programs. Looking ahead While hidden hunger continues to be a public health concern worldwide, staple food fortification offers a long-term approach to addressing these widespread micronutrient deficiencies. It has the potential to im- prove the health and wellbeing of individuals, socie- ties and nations; effectively combating hidden hun- ger. With the general health of a population rising, economic benefits - including decreasing healthcare costs and unemployment rates – are expected to fol- low. In the long run, tackling malnutrition can lead to major social returns on investment. For further information on effective food fortification, visit www.nutritionimprovement.com or contact Arnold.Kawuba@dsm.com. Alongside gaining access to high-quality pre- mixes, partnering with companies who have a long history of working in the food fortification space, can offer millers the support and know- how they need to successfully implement such interventions. DSM has been promoting and ac- tively engaging in staple food fortification for dec- ades, providing its technical and scientific knowl- edge and capabilities to its customers, as well as supplying them with high-quality, reliable and traceable micronutrient premixes.