NewsVoir
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], April 22: Millers for Nutrition, a coalition of key food fortification stakeholders dedicated to helping millers fortify staple foods, is proud to announce a partnership with Fortify Health and The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an implementing partner of the PM POSHAN program, to supply fortified wheat flour to 3416 schools in Gujarat. The flour will be used to make meals for over 400,000 children.
As part of this initiative, millers including Century Industries (Ahmedabad), Shakti Food Industries (Bhuj), Achyut Cereals & Pulses (Jamnagar), Shreeji Food Products (Vadodara), Momai Traders (Bhavnagar), and Giriraj Food Product (Surat) will collectively supply about 350 metric tons of fortified wheat flour every month to Akshaya Patra’s centralized kitchens in these cities, ensuring a steady and nutritious food supply for students.
“Millers for Nutrition is proud to partner with Fortify Health and The Akshaya Patra Foundation to enhance nutrition in India,” said Monojit Indra, Senior Practice Lead, TechnoServe. “Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of millions of children across the country.”
Over the past year, Millers for Nutrition, in collaboration with Fortify Health, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and the Gujarat Roller Flour Millers Association, has conducted fortification trainings in Gujarat to help millers produce high-quality fortified wheat flour. Demonstrating a win-win-win, the initiative has successfully scaled up wheat flour fortification, enhanced children’s nutrition, and supported miller businesses.
Sri Bharatarshabha Dasa, Trustee and National President at The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “We at The Akshaya Patra Foundation are honored to collaborate with Millers for Nutrition and Fortify Health in this transformative initiative. By integrating fortified wheat flour into the meals of over 400,000 children in Gujarat, we are not just addressing nutritional needs but are actively contributing to a brighter, healthier future for the next generation. This partnership stands as a testament to the power of collaborative effort in making substantial health improvements across communities. Together, we are setting a remarkable precedent for nutritional welfare in India.”
Tony Senanayake, CEO at Fortify Health, said, “Fortify Health is proud to collaborate with The Akshay Patra Foundation leading the way in institutional nutrition across Gujarat. They are delivering high-quality, iron-fortified chakki atta through six central kitchens, reaching over 4 lakh vulnerable individuals, including school children under PM-Poshan. This partnership demonstrates how simple, scalable interventions can effectively improve public health and nutrition outcomes in a state with a high anaemia burden.”
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which strives to address classroom hunger and malnutrition in India. As the implementing partner of the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan (Mid-Day Meal Scheme), the Foundation provides hot, nutritious and tasty mid-day meals to children in government and government-aided schools every day to support their nutrition and education.
In partnership with the Government of India, various state governments and UT administrations, and the inestimable support of many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, the Foundation has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across five schools to becoming one of the largest (not-for-profit run) school feeding programme in the world, serving wholesome food to over 2.25 million children from 23,000+ schools across 17 States and 3 Union Territories in India.
Akshaya Patra continuously forges partnerships and leverages technology to cater to millions of children and has served over 4 billion meals since 2000. The momentous milestone was commemorated at a special event at the UN headquarters in New York on 2 April 2024.
For more details, please log on www.akshayapatra.org.
Fortify Health has a vision for a healthier world where everyone has the micronutrients they need to survive and thrive. We work toward this by enabling access to micronutrient-rich wheat flour to reduce and prevent iron deficiency anaemia. We are now active in 14 states/UTs across India, working with 150 mills across India to reach more than 7 million beneficiaries.
Fortify Health provides technical support to governments and NGOs to integrate wheat flour fortification into various programs such as the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited, Punjab Development Corporation, The Akshaya Patra Foundation and Touchstone Foundation.
Fortify Health operates through three work streams.
* Open Market Support: We support millers to cost-neutrally fortify chakki atta in the open market.
* Partnership Support: We work with governments, quasi-government and non-government organisations in India to mainstream wheat flour fortification through social safety net programs.
* Evidence Generation: We conduct monitoring and evaluation of activities to inform the public about the value of food fortification.
For more details, please log on www.fortifyhealth.global.
Millers for Nutrition is supported by Strategic Fortification Partners: BASF, BioAnalyt, Buhler, dsm-firmenich, Muhlenchemie, SternVitamin; Regional Strategic Fortification Partners: Hexagon Nutrition, Piramal, Sanku; and a growing group of local technical partners that share a common vision of improving food processing practices and fortification excellence to benefit society and enhance business sustainability. Millers for Nutrition is powered by TechnoServe with funding support from the Gates Foundation.
Millers, food fortification stakeholders, and others interested in joining the coalition can learn more at millersfornutrition.com.
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