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One of Fiji’s biggest business tycoons, Hari Punja, Chairman of Flour Mills of Fiji Group, was presented with the Flour Fortification Initiative’s Leadership Award for 2008 today.
This was a very proud moment for Punja and he attributed this achievement to his staff for their dedication and excellent performance.
Minister for Health, Dr. Neil Sharma when giving the award said it was to recognize FMF’s outstanding efforts on flour fortification, a process by which flour is enriched with vitamins and minerals essential for the human body.
Alarming trends of deficiency problems reported through the 1993 and 2004 National Nutrition Survey led to discussions with UNICEF of possible partnership with FMF for the fortification of flour in Fiji.
“Anaemia in pregnancy, low birth weights, neural defects and micronutrient deficiencies were some concerns which to made FMF the pioneer in the world in flour fortification since 2002,” Dr. Sharma said.
“FMF is the first private sector to work together with Ministry of Health in trying to assist the country with these food and health related issues.”
Statistics by the Ministry of Health reveal 40 percent of Fiji’s population is anaemic.
Health Ministry’s Chief Dietitian Nutritionist, Nisha Khan at the award presentation said studies showed 56 per cent of these are women while 21 per cent are men.
Dr. Sharma attributed these statistics to the fact that people are moving away from traditional source of food rich in iron towards imported canned food.
“We need to ensure food for the next generation is nourishing and right so that we have a productive and sustainable economy,” he said.
