To reduce the level of malnutrition, an international non-profit organisation, Techno Serve, has launched a Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI) web portal for food quality control.

Speaking at the official launch recently in Lagos, regional program officer, Techno Serve, Mr. Tobi Durotoye, noted that the importance of the MFI is to promote healthy living of Nigerians through the quality of food consumption.

He said: “We are on a journey to fight malnutrition in Nigeria and the journey consists of a very effective solution such as food fortification, which is the enrichment of food such as vegetable oil, flour, salt and sugar. The focus of this event is to convene high level stakeholders from the private sector, government, and civil society around the launch of the micronutrient fortification index rankings and web portal as a key data driven management, governance and accountability mechanism that will drive opportunities for collective action around improving large scale food fortification (LSFF) to address national nutrition challenges, aligned with the digitalisation of national initiatives in the Nigerian food sector.”

Durotoye said the launch of the MFI will also provide an opportunity to rearrange the leadership of food processors participating in the index.

“Techno Serve, in partnership with the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria, Lagos Business School and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is ensuring that essential micronutrients are added during food processing, which has been identified as a cost-effective strategy for addressing malnutrition. With funding from the international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Techno serve’s strengthening African processors of fortified foods (SAPFF) project takes a holistic approach to promoting the competitive, healthy, and effective production of fortified foods in Nigeria.” This Day