(P12-019-23) Transforming the Wheat Flour Fortification as a Post COVID Market Based Approach To Support the Most Vulnerable Segments Through Food Distribution Networks in Pakistan
Objectives: This project was planned to ensure that wheat flour, procured by selected FDNs, was replaced with high quality fortified wheat flour in daily distribution meals, so that more nutritious foods would reach the most vulnerable segments in Pakistan.
Transforming the food fortification towards a innovative tool to incorporate into the social protection interventions.
Methods: This pilot project executed through different private sector managed food distribution networks (FDNs), industrial distribution networks (IDNs), and ration distribution networks (RDNs), and their regular wheat flour was replaced with quality fortified wheat flour. After selection and agreement with flour mills and FDNs, their employees was capacitated to produce and serve quality fortified flour. Alongside the provision and monitoring of quality fortified wheat flour, supplied to FDNs, the fortification quality was also assessed for fortification compliance, through analysis of added iron content.
Results: The agreements were signed with 11 flour mills, 11 FDNs, 6 RDNs, and 6 IDNs in 4 cities of Punjab i.e. Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala; and 1 city of Sindh i.e. Karachi. Likewise, total 858 people from these flour mills, FDNs and provincial regulatory authorities were capacitated to provide quality fortified flour. During the project period June to December, 2021i.e. around 1,722 tons of quality fortified flour was produced by selected flour mills and 8.6 million fortified meals were served to the vulnerable consumers, including 61.50% male and 38.50% female population. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the average content of added iron in case of all flour mills comply with the recommended fortification standards of Punjab Food Authority i.e. ≥15 mg/kg.
Conclusions: Micronutrient fortified wheat flour provision to vulnerable populations through these FDNs is one of the best strategy to be adopted both by government as well as private sector to compliment the basic nutrition of vulnerable segments. This is wonderful market-based approach to incorporate into the existing social protection interventions.
