Miller's best/enhanced practices for flour fortification at the flour mill

Abstract

Background: Cereal flour fortification has been identified as an effective mass fortification intervention as part of a national public health strategy to overcome micronutrient deficiencies and improve the health status of populations, especially women and children.

Objective: The effectiveness of cereal flour fortification programs requires the use of micronutrient premixes that provide the desired health benefits.

Method: The Miller's Best/Enhanced Practices for Flour Fortification at the flour mill has been developed to provide specific guidance to millers and government officials to ensure that flour fortification practices are carried out in a way that results in the anticipated public health impact.

Results: The paper provides information specific to the use of micronutrient premixes, feeders, the fortification process, and quality control systems to ensure that both minimum and enhanced practices can be followed by the millers.

Conclusions: Guidelines for basic and best/enhanced practices to be followed for each stage of the flour fortification process at the flour mill are presented. The paper is designed to be a companion to the Recommended Practices for the Production and Procurement of Premix used in Cereal Fortification Programs and supplementary to existing food quality manuals and systems, such as Good Manufacturing Practices, Food Quality Systems, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. Other stakeholders involved in flour fortification programs have the responsibility to follow best practices of their own to ensure optimum effectiveness.