Miller Magazine Issue 146 February 2022

61 COVER STORY MILLER / FEBRUARY 2022 Nutrition can be a matter of life and death. An estimated 2 billion people globally suf- fer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Fortifying grains to improve nutrition has tremendous implications for individuals, en- tire populations, and a country’s economy. Flour fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of one or more essential micronutrients in flour. Forti- fication of wheat and maize flours with vitamins and minerals is considered a cost–effective strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition and nutrition-associated health outcomes. Cereals are important food vehicles for fortification. Though several foods could be used for carrying micronutrients, wheat flour and maize meal are excellent vehicles because they are staple foods in many parts of the world and key ingredient in so many food preparations. There are major regional preferences in the type of cereal consumed. Asia and the Far East predominantly Flour improvement and enrichment