70% of ‘Made in Mozambique’ edible oil, flour and sugar are fortified
19/03/2025 (Club of Mozambique) - At least 70% of corn and wheat flour, edible oil and sugar produced in Mozambique are fortified, which ensures a healthier diet, especially for the low-income population.
This is the result of the implementation in 2016 of the fortification program, which has contributed to the industry guaranteeing 13.1 million metric tons of enriched foods in the last six years.
The information was provided on Friday by the national coordinator of the Food Fortification Program (CONFAM), Eduarda Mungói, and by the Minister of Economy, BasÃlio Muhate, at a meeting aimed to evaluate activities in this area.
On the occasion, Mungói mentioned that one of the benefits of the program is that it ensures that the most-consumed foods have the nutrients and quality necessary for the physical and cognitive development of citizens.
She said that, in addition to the products mentioned, iodized salt produced domestically which currently accounts for 50 to 60%, is also fortified.
The main challenge lies with small-scale producers, who are still unable to place foods on the market that meet current demands.
In turn, the Minister of Economy mentioned that micronutrient deficiencies were one of the causes of chronic malnutrition, which affects 37% of children under five in Mozambique.
That was why, Basilio Muhate said, the country had adopted the fortification of foods for mass consumption; to ensure that the population continues to receive essential nutrients through their usual diet and in a sustainable manner.
Muhate noted that the benefits of the program extend to rural areas and vulnerable groups, and that the trend shows potential for universal coverage, further explaining that, with the implementation of the program, CONFAM assisted more than 200 national industries and extended fortification to 100 small mills.
He admitted, however, the need to improve the legal framework, by means of a review of the decree on the fortification of industrially processed foods with micronutrients.