Date: 07/10/2003
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Coming into effect of food fortification regulations
STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, ON THE COMING INTO EFFECT OF FOOD FORTIFICATION REGULATIONS, 7 October 2003
Today is indeed a great day for the Department of Health and our country as a whole as we take yet another leap towards ensuring that our people lead healthy, prosperous and fulfilling lives.
As from today, the 7th of October 2003, all millers are compelled by law to fortify their white and brown bread flour and maize meal with specific micronutrients. These micronutrients are made up of six vitamins and two minerals that will be added to the flour and maize meal at the mill.
These micronutrients include Vitamin A, thiamine, folic acid, iron and zinc. Vitamin A, for example, is essential for eyesight, growth and to fight illnesses. Thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1, is essential for the maintenance of a healthy body and helps with digestion.
Our Department embarked on this food fortification programme following an intensive research on the nutritional status of the South African population including the National Food Consumption Survey.
Among other things, the National Food Consumption Survey showed that:
* One out of two children aged 1 to 9 years was getting less than half of the daily requirement for energy, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, calcium, iron and zinc.
* Children from poor households especially in rural areas have considerably lower nutrient intakes.
For instance, children aged 7 - 9 years only consume one tenth of their daily requirement for vitamin A.
Not surprisingly, many of our children don't grow normally - some are stunted for life and some appear clearly wasted.
To address these deficiencies, we decided to fortify the most eaten foods, maize meal and flour with vitamins and minerals. Failure to do this would have meant that we risked having more children getting sick or dying at an early age and having an adult population that cannot contribute their utmost best to the growth of our economy because they do not have the strength to do so.
Our Department is encouraged by the response we have received from most of the millers and millers associations in our country who are supporting this programme. Although the regulations only come into effect today, as from April this year some millers had already started to add these vitamins and minerals to their products.
We have also received a grant of $2,8 million from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to support our food fortification over the next three years.
This funding will be used to improve implementation of the programme including providing support to small-scale millers to comply with fortification requirements and training of environmental officers to monitor effective implementation of the programme.
How will we enforce these guidelines?
The Environmental Health Practitioners at local government level will be responsible for compliance monitoring and law enforcement. Fines of up to R125 000 will be imposed upon millers who do not comply. While we will vigorously pursue those millers who do not comply, we hope this will be an exception rather the rule. From our current interactions with millers and millers' associations, we are confident that this process to build a healthy and productive population is embraced by all stakeholders.
I would like to thank our partners in this venture, Food Fortification Task Team and in particular UNICEF, Micro Nutrient Initiative, National Chamber of Milling, South African Chamber of Baking and independent millers for the contribution made to ensure that this programme takes off today.
Food fortification is essential to address some of the major challenges posed by poverty and malnutrition to the growth of our nation. Therefore we will do all in our power to ensure that these guidelines are implemented and adhered to. We are convinced that our partners will support us all the way as we embark on this journey to build a strong and robust nation.
Thank you
Source: Department of Health (http://www.gov.za)
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Coming into effect of food fortification regulations
STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, ON THE COMING INTO EFFECT OF FOOD FORTIFICATION REGULATIONS, 7 October 2003
Today is indeed a great day for the Department of Health and our country as a whole as we take yet another leap towards ensuring that our people lead healthy, prosperous and fulfilling lives.
As from today, the 7th of October 2003, all millers are compelled by law to fortify their white and brown bread flour and maize meal with specific micronutrients. These micronutrients are made up of six vitamins and two minerals that will be added to the flour and maize meal at the mill.
These micronutrients include Vitamin A, thiamine, folic acid, iron and zinc. Vitamin A, for example, is essential for eyesight, growth and to fight illnesses. Thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1, is essential for the maintenance of a healthy body and helps with digestion.
Our Department embarked on this food fortification programme following an intensive research on the nutritional status of the South African population including the National Food Consumption Survey.
Among other things, the National Food Consumption Survey showed that:
* One out of two children aged 1 to 9 years was getting less than half of the daily requirement for energy, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, calcium, iron and zinc.
* Children from poor households especially in rural areas have considerably lower nutrient intakes.
For instance, children aged 7 - 9 years only consume one tenth of their daily requirement for vitamin A.
Not surprisingly, many of our children don't grow normally - some are stunted for life and some appear clearly wasted.
To address these deficiencies, we decided to fortify the most eaten foods, maize meal and flour with vitamins and minerals. Failure to do this would have meant that we risked having more children getting sick or dying at an early age and having an adult population that cannot contribute their utmost best to the growth of our economy because they do not have the strength to do so.
Our Department is encouraged by the response we have received from most of the millers and millers associations in our country who are supporting this programme. Although the regulations only come into effect today, as from April this year some millers had already started to add these vitamins and minerals to their products.
We have also received a grant of $2,8 million from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to support our food fortification over the next three years.
This funding will be used to improve implementation of the programme including providing support to small-scale millers to comply with fortification requirements and training of environmental officers to monitor effective implementation of the programme.
How will we enforce these guidelines?
The Environmental Health Practitioners at local government level will be responsible for compliance monitoring and law enforcement. Fines of up to R125 000 will be imposed upon millers who do not comply. While we will vigorously pursue those millers who do not comply, we hope this will be an exception rather the rule. From our current interactions with millers and millers' associations, we are confident that this process to build a healthy and productive population is embraced by all stakeholders.
I would like to thank our partners in this venture, Food Fortification Task Team and in particular UNICEF, Micro Nutrient Initiative, National Chamber of Milling, South African Chamber of Baking and independent millers for the contribution made to ensure that this programme takes off today.
Food fortification is essential to address some of the major challenges posed by poverty and malnutrition to the growth of our nation. Therefore we will do all in our power to ensure that these guidelines are implemented and adhered to. We are convinced that our partners will support us all the way as we embark on this journey to build a strong and robust nation.
Thank you
Source: Department of Health (http://www.gov.za)
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