Crown Flour Mill (CFM) Limited, the makers of Mama Gold flour and semolina brands, has received an industry award in recognition of its active participation in the launch of the inaugural Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI) in Nigeria and for the implementation of the various food fortification index compliance guidelines in its food processing plants.
The food processing business received the award of Industry Leader in Quality Systems and Fortification recently in Lagos at the launch of the Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI), organised by TechnoServe Nigeria, a non-government organisation, under its ‘Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF)’ programme.
CFM has been driving the achievement of the micronutrient food fortification index as a critical part of the mandate agreed to at the 2018 Nigeria Food Processing and Leadership CEO Forum convened by TechnoServe, the Aliko Dangote Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Micronutrient Fortification Index is an industry-owned, independently verified public ranking of Nigerian food processing companies’ relative performance in their efforts to fortify wheat flour, edible oil, sugar, and salt.
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Speaking on the award, Ashish Pande, the Managing Director of CFM, who also participated as one of the top discussants at a fireside chat session titled “Using Data and Digitalization to Improve Product Quality and Enhance Sustainable Business Practices” at the event, said, “We are committed to serving high-fortified food products that meet the highest quality assurance and control standards.”
“This strong commitment led to the acquisition and installation of a state-of-the-art vitamin premix facility in our plants. The premix facility is highly digitized and ensures the right quantities of micronutrients are added to our food products at the factory processing level,” he added.
He explained further that the micronutrient fortification and self-regulation award would serve as a motivation to CFM to keep deploying more resources into ensuring that consumers consistently gain access to richly fortified wheat-derivative foods such as the Mama Gold semolina brand, bread produced from Mama Gold Flour, and the Crown Premium Pasta range.
Alok Khator, Vice President of Manufacturing, CFM, who received the award on behalf of the organisation thanked TechnoServe Nigeria for the industry recognition. “We are profoundly honoured by this award and renew our pledge to continue to invest in and adopt technological innovations to optimise food fortification compliance levels across all our food products,” he said.
Emphasising the role of digitization in achieving the food fortification agenda at the MFI launch event, Ayodele Tella, Project Manager, SAPFF, said, “Harnessing the opportunity to adopt and strengthen the use of timely digital data, alongside investments in automation by industry, could have significant implications on how food fortification and national food systems serve as a transformation tool in ensuring the achievement of public health goals.”
Meanwhile, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, Principal Consultant, Glytabs Consulting, who moderated at the launch event tasked food product manufacturers to prioritize public health in their food processing approach as well as comply with various regulatory guidelines.
Key participants at the MFI launch event included Dr Osagie Ehanire, Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Health, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, Prince Clem Agba, Hon. Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Fred Chiazor, Chairman, National Fortification Alliance (NFA).
Others included Alhaji Yunus Saliu, Executive Secretary, Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Chief Okey Ikoro, President, Vegetable and Edible Oil Producers Associations of Nigeria (VEOPAN), Prof. Franklin Ngwu, Director- LBS Sustainability Center, Lagos Business School (LBS), Dr Caroline Jehu- Appiah, Deputy Country Director, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, amongst others.
