Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction to Flour Fortification
Section 2: Procuring Materials & Setting up the Mill
Section 3: On the Production Line
Section 4: Assuring Quality Control
Section 5: Keys to Effective Marketing of Fortified Flour
Section 6: Cost Issues
5.
6.
The World Bank estimates that vitamin and mineral deficiencies as a whole
depress GDP by as much as 5%. Fortification of key staple foods with
specific vitamins and will help eliminate these deficiencies for as little as
0.15% of GDP- the approximate fortification cost.
7.
Flour millers can play a major part in solving these nutritional problems by
adding key vitamins and minerals. These nutrients produce a better
product, they can do so at low or no cost, and they help wholesalers bring
better products to their customers.
The table shows the degree to which nutrients are reduced during milling. 100 grams/day of
whole wheat flour supplies 22% of the United States Recommended Daily Allowance for iron.
Refined flour has less than one fourth of this amount (less than 6% of the RDA
Fortification is a success
Some countries, including the United States and Canada have successfully fortified
flour with vitamins and minerals since the early 1940s. As a result, several vitamin
deficiencies have been virtually eliminated in these countries.
The chart below shows reduced deaths from pellagra (niacin deficiency) in the United States since
flour fortification began there.
Number of deaths
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
Year
1948
1950
1952
The fortification process has a been tested again and again around the world, as
successful fortification programs have been implemented in many countries.
In the United States, folic acid fortification is estimated to have an annual economic
benefit of between $312 million and $425 million. The net reduction in direct costs
are estimated to be between $88 million and $145 million per year.
40%
30%
20%
1992
37%
1994
15%
16%
10%
9%
0%
Iron Deficiency
Anemia
Mandatory
Planning
Voluntary
No Flour Fortification
Setting Standards
National flour fortification standards are
most often generated by technical
groups.
They often include:
government health specialists
standards specialists
nutritionists,
millers and often bakers and major
flour product manufacturers.
International donors may support
work by such groups.
Always include iron, folic acid and zinc in any wheat flour
or maize meal fortification program.
In general, any good quality fortified wheat or wheat product should not change
consumer acceptability of the fortified food. Ideally, fortification should be invisible
to the consumer.
If possible, there should be no detectable difference in the appearance, or
sensory properties of the fortified product, and the price should only be marginally
higher.
The visual appearance of fortified flour and of foods products made from fortified flour
make a strong impression on the customer. Any change from unfortified flour should
be minimal.
At the current fortification levels used in wheat, there is no adverse impact. Although
premix is generally a light yellow color, the very small amounts added cause little
change in color of flour.
Elemental iron powders may cause a slight darkening of flour.
High levels of riboflavin and folic acid can cause a slight yellowing.
Experience has shown that these changes are accepted when consumers learn that
the slight difference is caused by a vitamin or mineral once all flour is similarly treated
Premix
Fortified flour
Flour
Bread
Cakes
Instant Noodles
Pasta
Section 1 Summary
Compelling reasons to begin fortifying flour:
Fortifying flour can help improve the health of a national population by providing
essential vitamins and minerals lacking in daily diets.
Flour fortification can be beneficial for the miller:
Helps to improve product quality
May increase market share and brand loyalty
Careful consideration of consumers expectations can be used so that consumers
accept fortified flour and it becomes part of their daily diet.
The many successful fortification programs implemented around the world offer
models on which to base new programs
An alliance of these groups needs to assess what is needed and what is feasible.
To assure acceptance of the fortified products and compliance with regulations,
major stakeholder groups must agree to the final regulations.
Cost is always a major factor in decisions about standards. Cost often restricts the
types and levels of vitamins and minerals to include. High costs make it very
difficult to require vitamin A and calcium. Costs also makes it more practical to add
a premix of other minerals and vitamins that are needed by the population, because
their addition to the premix involves very low additional costs.
Section 2A
Issues to Consider
Choosing a Micronutrient
Premix
Choosing an Addition
Method
Issues to Consider
Choose high quality wheat:
Issues to Consider
Phytic acid that is naturally in grains inhibits the absorption of iron, zinc
and other minerals by the human body.
Whole grain wheat contains nearly 1% phytic acid. Milling removes phytic
acid in flour by 60% to 90% depending on the extraction rate. These lower
levels improve the absorption of minerals.
As a general rule, the lower the level of ash in the flour, the lower the phytic
acid content.
When yeast is combined with flour in bread making, it further lowers the level
of phytic acid.
Vitamins and minerals are absorbed best from white refined wheat flour with
an ash content of below 0.80%. Higher extraction rates of flour can and
should be fortified if consumers prefer higher extraction flours.
OPO3H2
H2O3PO
H2O3PO
Much of the phytic acid is located in
the outer layer of the wheat between
the endosperm and the bran. Much of
the phytic acid is removed in the
milling process, so highly refined white
flour contains lower levels of phytic
acid compared to high extraction whole
wheat flours.
H2O3PO
H
H OPO H
3 2
H
H
OPO3H2
If the molar ratio of phytic acid to iron is less than 6 for normal
populations, iron will be absorbed. This is the case for yeast
leavened bread made from white flour.
If greater than 6 for normal populations, iron will not be well
absorbed. This may be the case for noodles made from white
(low extraction) flour.
An ideal ratio of less than 1 ensures absorption by any
population. This will not be possible for non-fermented flour
products like chapattis, noodles and steamed bread.
You can lower the ratio by
Increasing iron (through fortification) but you can only add so
much iron.
Lowering phytic acid (through milling, fermentation or adding
the enzyme phytase).
Issues to Consider
The World Health Organization recommends the following types and amounts of iron in
premix based on different extraction rates for low extraction flour (ash content <
0.8%):
Use small particle size dried ferrous sulfate or small particle size ferrous fumarate.
In populations consuming more than 300 g/day of wheat flour products, add 20 ppm
iron from dried ferrous sulfate or fumarate.
In populations consuming 150-300 g/day of wheat flour products, add 30 ppm iron from
ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumarate.
In populations consuming less than 149 g/day of wheat flour products, add 60 ppm iron
from ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumarate.
If cost or other factors (such as storing fortified flour longer than three months) make it
impossible to fortify flour with either ferrous sulfate or fumarate at the levels above, use
electrolytic iron or other iron fortificants with a relative biologic value of at least 50% of
dried ferrous sulfate. The level of these iron sources added to flour should be 2 times
that of ferrous sulfate.
Sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA) at levels up to 40 ppm is recommended for low
extraction flours where there is no fermentation process in food preparation (i.e. in the
preparation of unleavened breads such as chapatti or noodles).
Issues to Consider
The World Health Organization only recommends sodium iron EDTA for high
extraction flour (ash content > 0.8%). The recommended rate is:
In populations consuming more than 300 g/day of wheat flour products, add
15 ppm NaFeEDTA.
In populations consuming 150-300 g/day of wheat flour products, add 20
ppm NaFeEDTA.
In populations consuming less than 149 g/day of wheat flour products, add
40 ppm NaFeEDTA.
NaFeEDTA should also be used in populations where the overall diet is of low
iron bioavailability. In these environments, the addition of up to 30ppm of iron
from NaFeEDTA is recommended as long as there are no adverse effects on the
flours sensory properties.
Premix Components
The most common flour fortification practice is to add multiple vitamins and
minerals using a single ingredient- called a premix.
Premixes are produced by large commercial manufacturers and can be purchased
in specific blends that meet the production needs of the mill and the dietary needs
of the country.
A premix is made up of two major elements:
Fortificants (powdered vitamins and minerals)
Excipients (carriers, fillers and free-flow agents)
Premix Components
Pre-blends:
Preparation of Diluted Premix
Ideally, the feeder should be set to operate between 20 and 80% of full
capacity. In some cases mills may find that the flow of flour to be fortified
is so slow as to require operation less than 20%, even when using all the
adjustments available in screw size and gears available. In that case the
mill may want to consider making a dilution of the premix.
Pre-blends have a limited shelf life of only a couple weeks, so the amount
produced or delivered to a mill should not exceed a two week supply.
Mill Overage
Millers usually add extra amounts of the premix or individual nutrients to the
flour to ensure that the final fortified flour meets the label claims. This is done
to account for variation in the natural level of vitamins and minerals in the
flour and it makes up for any processing or storage losses.
The name and phone number of the principal contact to whom the order should be
directed.
Please note that no specific supplier is specifically endorsed by this toolkit, and all
potential suppliers should be thoroughly investigated prior to purchasing premix.
Combining improvers and fortificants makes changing the addition rate of the
improvers more difficult.
2. There are also safety reasons for avoiding combining improvers and fortificants.
Some fortificants can react with improvers. For example, concentrated forms
of potassium bromate and benzoyl peroxide (flour bleach) should NEVER
be combined with fortificants because there is a danger of combustion.
End of Section 2A
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Section 2B
1.
Mechanisms to assure that the premix is uniformly mixed into the flour
after the point of addition and before packout. This can involve mixing
during the normal transport of flour from the conveyor to packout, or
insertion of special mixing equipment.
addition of premix
at flour collection
conveyor
Packout
Batch Systems
In-line batch mixers
Separate mixers
Feeders
Information on Premix Feeders
Feeders
Feeder
Controller
Feeders
Premix Feeder Mechanisms
Three main types of premix feeders are available to fortify flour. They
differ in terms of the mechanism used to deliver a constant rate of premix
powder. There are also differences in cost. See Section 6 for more
information about the cost of feeders.
Type one
Screw Feeder
Type two
Revolving Disk
Type three:
Drum / Roller
Screw Feeders
Volumetric screw feeders that dispense a
set volume of a premix at a constant rate
are the most commonly used machines to
fortify flour at the mill. They are powered
by a variable speed direct current motor
with a controller that is used for fine
adjustment of the feed rate of the powder.
The size of the feed screw determines the
feed rate capacity. Large capacity
feeders may also use a gearbox to
increase and adjust the feed rate capacity.
Screw Feeders
Advantages of screw feeders:
Better able to sustain a constant addition rate for a
longer time
Wider range of delivery rates
Fewer mechanical parts
Fewer repairs because they breaks down less
often
Less expensive to build
Can be more sanitary
Easier to maintain than the other types of feeders
Widely available because screw feeders are now
the most common type of microfeeders and are
produced by a larger number of manufacturers.
Either a DC or AC motor can power the drum and a gearbox. A pulley system
controls the rotation speed. Pulleys and wheels of differing diameters make
gross adjustments in the feed rate. An adjustable gate is used to make fine
adjustments.
Drum or roll-type feeders require more parts to operate and higher maintenance.
Shear pins in the drive mechanism break if large objects (bolts, plastic) get
stuck between the rolls, and the feeder will stop working until a new pin is
installed.
In some newer drum feeder models, a variable speed DC drive motor is used to
allow the addition rate to be adjusted electronically rather than mechanically.
Variable speed AC drive motors are also available.
Mills generally need one feeder per flour or meal line to be fortified. Larger milling
units with multiple products may require additional feeders including spares.
Feeders used for flour fortification need to deliver only relatively small amounts of
material. The size and number of feeders needed will depend on the hourly
throughput of flour in the mill or load-out system. Hopper size on the feeder is also an
important consideration, since you do not want to fill it constantly, nor do you want to
let it go for many days without filling.
Feeder Sizing
Mill
Capacity
(MT/day)
Flour flow
rate*
(kg/min)
Premix**
Add rate
(g/min)
2.5
0.4
20
10
1.5
50
25
3.8
100
50
7.5
200
100
15
400
200
30
Delivery Mechanisms
There are two main ways to deliver the premix to the flour:
pneumatic
gravity feed
Pneumatic System
In a pneumatic system, the premix drops into a venturi tube, that injects
the premix into an air stream. The material is blown by positive pressure
or sucked by a vacuum through a pipe into the flour collection conveyor.
If this can not be set up, some downstream location in the flour flow can
be used to add premix provided it will be well mixed with the flour.
venturi tube
Pneumatic System
Advantages of the pneumatic method
Venturi Tubes
A venturi tube is a simple piece of equipment that connects the
premix feeder and the pneumatic delivery pipes. Venturi tubes are
used to deliver the premix into the flour stream in an entirely closed
pneumatic system.
Section 2C
Poor
Too little mixing
Good
Flour flow
Poor
Too little flour
One solution for small, older mills without a point of a known, constant flow of flour is to
install a mixing conveyor running from a flour holding bin to the packout bin. The feeder
would drop or blow the premix into the start of the special conveyor.
If the flow of flour is erratic through a conveyor but its flow rate is measurable by some
devise that gives a proportional milliamp signal, that signal can be used to control the
output of the feeder.
Equipment Suppliers
Many companies sell fortification equipment. Mills should ensure that directions for installing
and maintaining equipment are available in the national language, or make arrangements to
have them translated.
Equipment Suppliers
Vendor must provide two references of maize or flour mills where this
feeder has been in operation for at least one year.
Motors with incorrect voltage or numbers of phases supplied (110v vs. 220v, single phase
vs. 3-phase, etc)
Required or expected components that are optional and not ordered or substantially
increased the cost of equipment.
No spare parts ordered and no mechanism for quickly obtaining spare parts (brass gears,
belts, etc)
Feeder designed for use with a specific premix, which did not work well with other
premixes due to different flow and packing properties.
Feeder placement may need to be located some distance from the flour line so that a
tube/shoot needed to be fabricated to carry the premix to the conveyor (via gravity).
When donor ordered equipment there is seldom detailed expertise. Milling specialists
MUST liaise closely and carefully review order details.
Equipment manuals may come in a different language than that of mill specialists (correct
language version of manual must be specified).
Iron
Zinc
Folic Acid
B vitamins
For information on health concerns regarding the overconsumption of any of these nutrients, please see Section 4:
Assuring Quality Control.
Vitamin A
Calcium
Iron
How well people absorb iron from fortificants depends on both the fortificants
solubility and the amount of iron inhibitors in the diet. Inhibitors include phytates
and phenolic compounds found in tea, coffee and other foods. Reducing the
effect of inhibitors by adding ascorbic acid, using sodium EDTA or removing
phytates can increase the total amount of iron absorbed from iron fortified foods.
Unfortunately, these methods do not work well in wheat based foods.
The goal of fortification should be to use the iron compound that has the greatest
relative bioavailability compared to ferrous sulfate, yet does not cause
unacceptable properties in the flour. Cost is also an important consideration.
100
90
80
70
60
% RBV 50
40
30
20
10
0
Ferrous
Sulfate
Electrolytic
US
Electrolytic
India
Hydrogen
Reduced
SUSTAIN studies
Atomized
Ferrous Fumarate
Ferrous Sulfate
NaFeEDTA
Ferric phosphate
Anemia
Iron
Deficiency
Anemia
Iron Deficiency
60
50
40
% Prevalence 30
20
10
0
Ferrous
Sulfate
Electrolytic
H Reduced
Control
SUSTAIN studies
Iron deficiency
Anemia
0 month
2 months
4 months
6 months
130
125
120
115
110
105
100
Control
FeNaEDTA
20 ppm
FeSO4
30 ppm
Elemental Iron
60 ppm
0.9
SI (mg/L)
0.85
0.8
Control
Experimental
0.75
0.7
0
12
24
months
36
Hb (g/L)
140
135
Control
Experimental
130
125
0
12
18
months
24
30
36
B Vitamins
Thiamin (B1)
Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3)
Pyridoxine (B6)
Cobalamin (B12)
Folic Acid (B9)
Analytical Testing
It is very difficult and expensive to test for the small amounts of vitamin B12 used
in fortification. A microbiological test method is normally employed.
Cobalamin Bioavailability
The formulation of cobalamin in fortified foods is absorbed two times more readily
than natural cobalamin occurring in foods.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A Compounds Used
The retinyl esters are available in a protected, spray-dried form for use in flour
fortification, sometimes referred to as SD-250 or SD-250S, since they contain
250 IU/mg. These forms do not affect the sensory properties of the flour.
Calcium
Calcium Compounds Used
Levels added
2.1 g/kg
Ca Sulfate
4.8
9.1
Ca Carbonate
2.8
5.3
Zinc
Zinc Compounds Used
Zinc oxide is the most commonly used zinc source for the fortification of
cereals. It is also the least expensive and the source that causes the
least problems with flavor and other organoleptic properties.
Zinc Level
The level of zinc added depends on the average wheat consumption and
the flour extraction rate as well as phytic acid intake from other dietary
sources.
Zinc Bioavailability
End of Section 2
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Section 3
Feeder Details
At the front half of collection conveyor above the blades of the mixing
screw
At least 3 meters of conveyor length is normally needed to ensure
adequate blending.
Feeder located on platform or floor
above
Poor
Too little mixing
Flour
discharge
Good
Poor
Too little flour
Conveyor Direction
Feeder Controller
Feeder Details
(Mongolia example)
Screw Premix
Feeder
Conveyor
direction
Feeder Calibration
Check the flour production rate (kg/hr) for each production line, even if the
rate has been established. his can be done with the following procedure:
While the mill is running, count number of bags packed per 60 minutes or use
on-line flour scale (if one is installed).
Calculate the flour production rate using the following formula. This is the
actual production rate per minute and not rated capacity.
Feeder Calibration
Premix Feed Rate Determination:
Next, determine the premix feed (discharge) rate at different speed settings on your feeder.
1. Fill hopper half full with premix to be added.
2. Set feeder to maximum discharge.
3. Run feeder for two minutes.
4. Weigh the premix that has been discharged.
5. Calculate maximum discharge per minute.
6. Optional: Repeat at different speeds or percent settings.
7. Graph paper or a spreadsheet program can be used to make a chart that shows the
premix discharge rate per minute at different speed settings from 0 to 100% of maximum
discharge. This should be displayed near the feeder.
Feeder Calibration
Individualized Premix Feed Rate Determination to Fortify at Set Levels:
Finally, you need to take both the flour production rate measure and the premix feed rate
measure you calculated previously and use them to determine the feed rate of premix in grams
per minute required to fortify the flour at the recommended level.
Determine the recommended addition rate of premix (from supplier specifications on the
package)
1. Calculate the required premix feed rate per minute using these formulas:
2. Adjust the control/dial on the feeder to deliver the calculated weight of premix per
minute. You should now be ready to begin fortification.
1000
(premix weight per kg) X (production rate per minute in kg) = premix weight required per
minute
Each premix feeder should be checked routinely during production run to ensure
there is sufficient premix in the hopper and that feeder is operating properly.
6.
Note: To add an extra quality control measure, mills may require premix feeder
hoppers to be filled on a regular basis and the weight of the material left in the
premix carton recorded. If the amount used between weightings is compared with
the flour production during the same period, a measure of addition is obtained.
7.
The most important check on the production line is to ensure that the feeder does
not run out of premix. Many feeders have a low level indicator that can be checked.
8.
At the end of a production run, the premix feeder should be turned off before
shutting down the mill.
9.
Check weights
Check-Weighing Procedure
When filling the feeder hopper, the operator should wear a long sleeve shirt, gloves
and dusk mask. He may also wear safety goggles, a hair net, safety helmet or
other protective devices depending on the policies of the mill. (Since the filling of
the hopper may take less than a minute, the operator may see this as unnecessary.)
4.
Workers handling premix should wear long sleeve shirts and gloves when handling
the product. Some people have an allergic skin reactions to flour fortificants such
niacin. A common reaction is skin reddening caused by the vasodilatation effect of
niacin. This effect is not dangerous and is transitory, but it can be annoying.
5.
After filling hoppers, workers should wash their hands and skin areas that were
exposed to premix.
6.
Premix boxes should be stored in a convenient location but not exposed to sunlight,
not excessively hot (i.e. next to a boiler) and safe from getting wet or hit by lift
trucks. The boxes can be piled on top of each other, but they should be arranged
so that a first in, first out system of use can be easily accomplished.
Normally, one box at a time is brought adjacent to the feeder for filling. The box and
the inner bag are opened. A scoop can be placed inside the opened bag for
convenient use. Keep paper, plastic, and other contaminates out of the bag as they
may get in the feeder cause its malfunction. Ideally, the inner plastic premix bag
should be a colored material so any pieces would be noticeable to the operator.
8.
Once the hopper has been filled, the operator should put the scoop back in the bag
or at some other designated location. The inner bag should be twirled close and the
cardboard flaps folded over. This operating box should be left in a location that is
convenient for future use but not exposed to conditions that could damage it.
9.
Any spill of premix should be cleaned up immediately by putting meal on the spill
prior to sweeping.
2.
3.
Stock Rotation: Upon receipt of the shipment, the production lot number(s) should
be recorded and retained. A first-in, first-out (FIFO) system of stock rotation should
be used.
4.
Use of Open Containers: Once a premix bag has been opened, it should be kept
closed when not in use and protected from heat and light.
Manufacturers should provide specific inspection and maintenance information with the
machines (check on delivery).
Manufacturers can be consulted to learn what parts may wear out and how they can be
obtained.
A stock of high turnover spare parts should ordered and kept on hand.
Install magnets in a location so that the flour stream acts as a continuous cleaning
mechanism as it passes over the magnet.
If the iron powder bridges between the magnet tubes, use a magnet system with
a larger distance separating the tubes.
Place magnets prior to the addition of the premix and rely on sieves to remove
tramp iron after that point.
Troubleshooting
The best way to prevent and easily fix production problems is to be prepared and
know what to expect.
The links below are for troubleshooting information and action steps regarding the
following problems:
ACTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
Have premix supplier change the levels of excipients and free-flow agents
Install mechanical agitation in premix feeder hoppers. (See next page.)
Empty feeders that will be unused for any length of time.
Mechanical Agitation
Installing a mechanical agitator in the hopper will help prevent the premix from
bridging, clumping and compacting. Some models of feeders may automatically
come with an agitator device already installed.
If there are problems with the flour flow or the premix flow, the level
of premix added to the flour will be incorrect.
ACTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
This can cause a problem because feeders and controllers must operate
in a consistent, uniform manner to ensure adequate fortification.
Variations in voltage can alter the flour production rate and the premix
feed rate, which will cause the flour to be fortified incorrectly.
ACTIONS:
1. Use voltage regulators when you are working with single voltage feeder
motors.
2. Use three-phase motors. Three-phase motors are more reliable and
generally run cooler and last longer than single phase motors. But they
also require three-phase electricity and are a higher initial investment.
Section 4
Quality Control
The importance of quality control system
Safety Concerns
Overview of Quality Control Methods
Record Keeping
Feed Rate Monitoring
Iron Spot Test
Quantitative Testing Using an Indicator Nutrient
Outside Quantitative Testing
Quality Control Schedule
External Monitoring by the Authorities
Flour millers play the largest role in assuring success of national efforts
to bring fortified flour to populations and gain customer satisfaction with
fortified flour
A uniformly high quality fortified product is needed to gain customer
satisfaction and meet government standards.
Good quality requires a well-developed and comprehensive quality
assurance and control program in the mills and across all levels of a
national fortification program. Plans to strengthen the overall national
level, good quality and good development requires a comprehensive
quality assurance and control procedures.
2.
3.
Qualitative tests are simple, rapid tests that can be done at the mill to
determine if a flour sample has been fortified or not, and, with some test
procedures, obtain an estimate of whether it is under or over fortified.
The primary test used for this purpose is the Iron Spot Test (but other tests are
needed for Sodium Iron EDTA
In some cases, the iron spot test can not be used because of the type and level
of iron added. In that case, possible alternative qualitative tests are:
o Riboflavin black light test riboflavin will fluoresce under ultraviolet
light. This should be done in a dark room or box using a wet Pekar slick
of the flour compared to unfortified and a standard fortified flour.
o Vitamin A color test This is a somewhat involved test that must be
done in a laboratory. It is based on comparing the intensity of a blue color
that forms with vitamin A with a standard solution of copper sulfate.
These two alternative tests are poor replacements for the iron spot test. One
suggestion is to always have some elemental iron included in the premix to act
as a marker, recognizing that this would increase the total iron content if
measured quantitatively.
No fortification detected
Low level
Normal level
High level
Very high level
Safety Concerns
Fifty years of experience has proven that flour fortification is very safe and has
minimal risks that are easily controlled by established quality assurance an
control procedures.
Two main safety concerns:
1. Setting safe and appropriate standards:
The national fortification standards of vitamins and minerals in foods need to be set high
enough to insure nutritional benefits are provided, but low enough to guarantee that
consumers do not chronically consume too much of any nutrient.
2. Preventing the accidental over-fortification of flour: Avoiding levels of minerals and
vitamins that are excessively high is accomplished through a set of standard practices
using equipment and procedures to monitoring the use of pre-mix and the nutrient levels
in the fortified flour.
o
Mill production staff can easily recognize if a higher than expected rate of premix
is being added through normal quality control testing. Additionally, the highly
over-fortified flour would show an off-color, from the iron and riboflavin making it
unacceptable to most consumers.
As with other quality control procedures, both the process of fortification and the
results need to be monitored and recorded.
The four basic quality control methods for flour fortification that should be used in
every mill are relatively fast and simple to perform on a regular basis.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is tested:
Flour samples taken at the end of the
production line (most often prior to bagging but
samples from bags in warehouses can also be
tested
Description of the method:
Limitations
RED
SPOTS
Food grade NaSCN is available in case there is concern about the safety of this
reagent. However care should be taken with its use, as with any concentrate
chemical.
The spot test works best with elemental iron powders, and very poorly with
NaFeEDTA. Some NaFeEDTA products produce no spots, giving only a reddish
background color.
Mill chemists use many different ways to prepare the flour for testing.
o
The simplest is to make an impression with a 50cc beaker into a small pile of
flour sitting directly on the work bench. Add the reagents with a plastic,
disposable dropper and sweep the flour pile into a waste basket when
finished.
o
Other flour preparation methods take more time but give better semiquantitative results. One is to make a wet Pekar slick test with both unknown
and known samples, and let the reagents run down the wet slicks.
o
Some premix companies can provide additional advice on the use of the iron
spot test and ways to optimize its effectiveness.
Single spot test results conducted during the daily production run (taken every 2, 4
or 8 hours depending on need) showing more or less spots than target level is not
a reason to make adjustments to the feeder system for micronutrients.
Some variability in the amount of iron will always be found through the spot tests
as well as through qualitative tests.
Adjustment is called for if a systematic trend (i.e. consistently low or consistently
high or trending low or high) over time is noticed.
Adjusting a premix addition system based on one or two spot test results when no
adjustment is warranted is likely to widen system variability and complicate future
measurements.
When what appears to be too low or too high a level of iron is observed in the iron
spot test count based on several measurements over time, action is needed.
Check the premix feeder and flour transport and mixing machinery and adjust
if necessary
Take an additional sample for testing
Record Keeping
Quantitative testing for fortified flour is most often done by laboratories with more
sophisticated equipment and greater experience and throughput than what is
available at a mill.
Typically one of the premix ingredients will be tested as an indicator of the
others. This method is a valid method for premix that has been properly
designed, manufactured and mixed to achieve a constant ratio of the different
nutrients.
Because the ratio is constant, measuring one of the micronutrients in flour can
verify the delivery doses of the others.
This assumes there has been no destruction or separation of the indicator
nutrient after the premix was added.
Iron is often used as an indicator nutrient, but vitamin A has also been used
when it is added.
If the analytical error or the lab for that assay is known and less than 5%,
a CV, less than 20% is indicative of an acceptable variability. If the CV is
higher than 20% the mill should investigate possible reasons for the
variation, such as variation in the flour low rate or erratic premix addition.
Mills should not adjust the addition rates based on the results of a single analysis.
Long term trends can influence whether to adjust the premix addition rate up or
down or request a different premix formulation from the supplier.
60
40
20
0
Assay
Maximum
Minimum
Government
Laboratory
Reference
Laboratory
CoA on premix,
quantitative tests of all
added micronutrients
Premix
Suppliers
Central Milling
Laboratory
Mills
QC Activities:
The Central Lab can be part of a milling association, a large milling company, or
an independent lab/organization designate, providing routine testing service for
mills, particularly smaller mills that do not have testing capabilities. This would
include quantitative tests of the indicator nutrient not normally run by the mills
themselves.
The Government Lab and Food Control Agency is associated with the
enforcement and regulatory function of the central government. It may do
quantitative testing of flour samples collected at mills, homes and markets during
mill audits. Its analytical capacity is more advanced, and may also be involved
with coverage and effectiveness studies.
The Reference Lab is typically an outside, certified lab with the ability to run
quantitative tests on all added nutrients. It may be located in another country. It
would be used to resolve disputes on fortification levels and to determine whether
the other labs are providing accurate results.
Premix suppliers have their own labs for assaying micronutrient content on their
premixes. They may also provide flour testing services to their premix customers,
usually at no cost.
Check premix feeder controller hourly (that low level indicator is not lit and speed
detector shows it is running)
Run feeder check weights at least every 8 hour shift.
Run iron spot tests at least every 8 hour shift.
Conduct inventory control of premix usage and fortified flour production at least
quarterly.
The responsibility, frequency, protocol and reporting for the above
activities should be spelled out in the mill QA manual and
communicated to all involved mill personnel. All reporting must be to
someone with the authority and the ability to act on the information.
Dynamic Monitoring
Problems and actions: Adjusting quality control test frequency
If spot tests show that levels of the nutrient tested are lower than the factory
minimum or higher than the maximum tolerable level, (see next page), then
sampling frequency should be increased and corrective actions should be taken.
If on 2 out of 5 consecutive sampling times the product fails to meet the technical
requirements, the intensity of sampling should be changed to a more demanding
intensity, and corrective actions should be implemented.
Upper Levels
Less then 20% of them should have a nutrient content above but
always near the maximum tolerable level, if one has been
established.
Section Five
Marketing Strategies
Marketing strategies differ according to type of fortification.
For example:
Marketing Strategies
Where perceived costs are low and benefits high, consumer information
and education may be sufficient to add value.
When the perception of costs and benefits are mixed, marketing tools
such as advertising and promotion may also be needed to build
consumer perceptions of added value.
Fortified flour is superior nutritionally to flour that has not had vitamins
and mineral added.
Fortified flour is "natural" the vitamins and mineral added are already in
wheat, but many are removed in industrial milling.
Flour may be seen as a special, pure and/or natural product. Added substances,
even replacing those lost in milling, may raise concern about product quality.
Wholesale fortified flour purchasers and re-processors are usually very sensitive
about product quality and price.
Learn from and use research to identify specific concerns and find those
characteristics of fortified flour that are most appealing to consumers.
See Morocco logo study on separate file on this CD for example of consumer research
Logo Examples
Three country logos are shown below. South Africa did consumer pretesting of different options for fortified foods logo that would eventually
appear on all fortified products. Consumers chose the logo at bottom
right with three children representing the ethnic diversity of South
Africans with the rising sun in the background.
Packaging Examples
Advertisements
Governments can provide various fiscal incentives that offset or reduce mill costs for
fortifying flour including reduced or no VAT, tariff or duty on premix, wheat or other
inputs.
Check services projects that promote fortified flour and have international donor support.
Micronutrient Initiative, Flour Fortification Initiative, A2Z Project, Iron Deficiency Project
Advisory Service, GAIN
Section Six
Cost Issues
Basic Pricing Information
Premix and Ingredient Costs
Equipment costs
Lab Expenses
Miscellaneous Expenses
The premix costs also covers fillers, production and packaging, and marketing
* Disclaimer: All cost information represented in this section is general and should
be used with caution. Actual costs may vary by as much as 30% and is
dependent on manufacturer, location, amount ordered, etc.
$ per MT of flour
$0.85 - $1.10
$2.50 - $3.00
$1.60 - $2.00
$2.85 - $8.00
These prices indicate the estimated cost of premix and should NOT be used as official
market prices. These prices do not reflect shipping, import duties and value added tax.
Millers must always request price quotations for premix from more than two suppliers to
ensure that they are getting competitive prices.
Equipment Costs
Equipment
$1,000 - $8,000
Gravimetric Feeder
$5,000 - $20,000
Loss-of-weight Feeder
$10,000 - $21,000
Powder Feeder
$1,000 - $25,000
Electronic Scales
$100 - $2000
Horizontal Ribbon
Blender
$9,000 - $130,000
Horizontal Paddle
Blender
$9,000 - $130,000
$35,000 - $170,000
$15,000 - $200,000
Lab Expenses
Most mills use well established qualitative testing methods, (iron spot test costs
ranges from US $2.00- 5.00 per test ). Mills periodically send samples to outside
facilities for more precise measurement. (US$10 - $100) per test)
* Disclaimer: All cost information represented in this section is general and should be used
with caution. Actual costs may vary by as much as 30% and is dependent on
manufacturer, location, amount ordered, etc.
Miscellaneous Expenses
Most mills that begin fortifying flour can expect some additional initial expenses beyond
equipment and installation:
quality control
marketing costs for the new product to wholesalers and major flour product
producers (bakers, pasta makers, etc).
Most mills will also have recurrent costs associated with ongoing production of the
improved product:
costs of premix
Thank You