For Stronger India, Fortified Wheat Flour is Essential
Gujarat Leads the Way in Fortified Wheat Flour Adoption to Combat Malnutrition.
To strengthen India’s fight against malnutrition, Gujarat Millers and Millers for Nutrition are launching fortified wheat flour brands.
As part of India’s nationwide effort to combat anaemia and hidden hunger, seven local millers in Ahmedabad launch fortified wheat flour brands with assistance from the Millers for Nutrition coalition.
Millers for Nutrition, powered by TechnoServe, in partnership with the Gujarat Roller Flour Millers Association (GRFMA), and Fortify Health, today announced the launch of seven fortified wheat flour brands in Ahmedabad, marking an important milestone in India’s ongoing fight against malnutrition and anaemia.
“Brash industry leadership is needed in India’s fight against anaemia and malnutrition, and Millers for Nutrition is honoured to support that shift.
The launch in Gujarat today demonstrates how millers can take the initiative and fortify common foods like wheat flour with iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 to ensure that more households have access to vital nutrients. By doing this, we get one step closer to a stronger, healthier country,” stated Monojit Indra, Millers for Nutrition Asia Program Lead and Senior Practice Leader at TechnoServe.
“Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies continue to affect millions of Indians, especially women and children, undermining immunity, growth, and cognitive development,” noted Dr. Parul Kotdawala, obstetrician, gynaecologist, and infertility specialist, emphasising the critical health need. By incorporating vital nutrients into staples like rice and wheat flour, fortified foods offer a straightforward yet effective intervention that can reach vulnerable communities on a large scale without requiring dietary changes.
One important tool for closing India’s nutrition gap and enhancing public health outcomes is the use of fortified staples.
Along with Lalwani Harry’s Chakki Atta (Bright Star Foods), the recently introduced fortified flour brands—Radhe Makhan (Bhavya Food Products), Madhvan Bhog (Riddhi Siddhi Grain Processing), Rajbhog (Radhaji Proteins), RajShree (Giriraj Food Industry), Rohini Gold (Rohini Pulses & Foods), and Zam-Zam, Muskan, Shudh (Fortune Proteins)—will now be sold in Gujarat’s open markets. Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12—three essential nutrients that are essential for addressing anaemia and hidden hunger—have been added to each of these items. In order to be ready for their launch, Millers for Nutrition has helped the Millers with technical support, brand and marketing assistance, and other things.
High rates of anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies persist in India, especially among children and women of reproductive age. National surveys show that about half of Indian women suffer from anaemia, with low-income and rural households being the most impacted. Millers for Nutrition and its partners seek to put nutrition directly on families’ plates without requiring them to alter their eating habits by fortifying everyday staples like wheat flour.
Government officials, business executives, and civil society partners gathered at the event hosted by ITC at the WelcomHotel in Ahmedabad. The event’s sessions addressed the legal framework for fortifying wheat flour, the contribution of public distribution networks and school meals to nutrition advancement, and emerging prospects for growing the market for fortified staples through retail and e-commerce.
“This Gujarati launch aims to increase consumer confidence in fortified foods in addition to introducing new brands. In order to turn fortification into a competitive advantage and a public health solution, Millers for Nutrition is dedicated to supporting millers by providing technical assistance, quality control, and market intelligence. We are developing a model that can be expanded throughout India by fusing social impact with industry innovation,” said Abhishek Shukla, Country Program Manager at Millers for Nutrition, India.
Gujarat is in a position to lead the sector in India’s larger nutrition journey now that its millers are joining the fortification drive. The collective efforts of millers, policymakers, and civil society under the Millers for Nutrition banner reaffirm that fortification is not just a technical intervention but a mainstream solution to hidden hunger.
