The new vitamins and minerals will include vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12 and Niacin
AMMAN (JT) -- The Ministry of Health will start a flour-fortification programme next month to boost nutritional benefits in breads, an official from the ministry said on Thursday.
Health Ministry Spokesperson Radi Jawarneh said the programme, which is funded by the government, is being implemented in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Under the national plan, flour sold to bakeries will be fortified with vitamins and minerals.
The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the Nutrition Department director at the ministry, Adnan Ishak, as saying that the new vitamins and minerals will include vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12 and Niacin, which is crucial for conversion of food into energy and helps maintain normal functioning of the skin, nerves and digestive system.
In 2002, an iron supplement ingredient called premix, which includes iron sulphate and folic acid, was added to flour in a bid to address one of the major public health problems in the Kingdom, Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA). IDA leads to paleness, lack of concentration and a delay in the development of children's cognitive skills.
The new JD1 million project to be implemented in March will enhance the health of citizens because they all eat bread, according to the ministry.
The programme was a result of studies undertaken by WHO experts, which concluded that flour fortification was the best method to improve the health of all segments of society.
Following the implementation of the project, the ministry announced that it plans to bring to an end a similar health programme initiated three years ago.
Under this programme, the Health Ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, began distributing multivitamin pills to schoolchildren aged between six to 12 years, especially since studies showed that 46 per cent of the Kingdom's students suffered from vitamin deficiency.
Meanwhile, a Ministry of Education (MoE) programme for students suffering from micronutrient deficiencies is set to continue.
The School Nutrition Programme (SNP), which began in 1999, provides schoolchildren with a mid-morning snack consisting of a 200-millilitre carton of UHT milk, 70 grammes of high protein biscuits fortified with vitamins A, D and iron, in addition to a piece of fruit.
According to MoE, by the end of 2008 the SNP will cover all first to sixth grade schoolchildren in public schools in accordance with a plan to be implemented this year.
The first stage, from June 1-Dec. 31, 2006, will cover 250,000 students, while by the end of the second stage in late 2007, half a million students will have been covered by the SNP.
By December 2008, all students between first and sixth grades will be covered by the plan.
The programme currently covers students in Karak, Tafileh, Maan, Aqaba, Deir Alla, the Northern Badia, Rweished, South Shuneh, Zarqa, Ruseifa, Shobak and Petra, in addition to schools in Jerash, Ajloun and the Northern Jordan Valley.
© Jordan Times 2006
