PESHAWAR : A non-governmental organisation on Tuesday trained flour millers from across Hazara to enhance the production and supply of fortified wheat flour to the people in the province.
“We have installed micro-feeders at almost all flour mills to blend premix ingredients into wheat flour free of cost, and are now training millers for better management and quality assurance,” said Imtiaz Ali Shah, the provincial programme manager of Nutrition International (NI), while addressing a training session at a hotel.
Millers from Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, and Battagram participated in the event and received technical training from expert nutritionists and health professionals including Dr Yasir Durrani, Dr Attaullah Jan, Dr Hina Saleem, NI’s Zonal Manager Mushtaq Ahmad, and Deputy Chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flour Mills Association Malik Muzaffar Din.
Mr Shah said Nutrition International was operating in Pakistan and other countries to promote wheat flour fortification as part of its global initiative to reduce micronutrient deficiencies.
“Our target is to reach 1 billion people worldwide with fortified wheat flour by 2026, and Pakistan is an integral part of this mission,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Zonal Manager Mushtaq Ahmad said premix ingredients including zinc, folic acid, vitamin B12, and iron were mixed into the wheat flour using micro-feeders installed at flour mills across Hazara division.
“We’re providing technical support and a comprehensive nutrition platform to help millers achieve large-scale wheat fortification,” he added.
He said that millers were being registered under the initiative to ensure they receive trainings, technical guidance, and access to national and international resources.
Deputy Chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flour Mills Association, Malik Muzaffar Din, appreciated the role of Nutrition International.
“We are fully implementing technical guidelines to ensure the production of quality fortified wheat flour in Hazara and the rest of the province,” he said.
