-KH News Desk (cbedit@Imaws.org)
Millers for Nutrition, a global industry-led initiative dedicated to advancing large-scale food fortification, today announced major achievements across Asia, underlining the region’s growing leadership in the fight against hidden hunger. While the program has been launched in eight countries viz. Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania, several of its most significant brand rollouts and capacity-building initiatives are emerging from India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
“Millers are at the center of nutrition delivery. By supporting them with the right tools, training, and market opportunities, we can accelerate progress towards addressing hidden hunger. The success of 20+ new fortified staple food brands in India and Bangladesh, alongside initiatives in Indonesia and beyond, shows that millers are leading a transformation of food systems,” said Rizwan Yusufali, Global Program Director, Millers for Nutrition.
Since inception, Millers for Nutrition has partnered with millers, governments, civil society, and development organizations to empower industry players to launch fortified staples in commercial retail markets, making essential micronutrients more accessible to everyday households.
“In Asia, millers play a crucial role in ensuring fortified foods reach households on a daily basis. By working closely with the milling industry and building strong partnerships with governments and civil society, we are helping create healthier futures for millions of people. The energy and innovation we see here demonstrate that fortification is not just a policy goal but also a movement being driven by millers themselves,” said Monojit Indra, Senior Practice Leader at TechnoServe India and Program Lead for Millers for Nutrition Asia.
Across the region, Millers for Nutrition has helped Millers successfully launch 20+ Fortified Rice and Atta brands in India, and Bangladesh, each generating nationwide visibility and reaching more than one million people per country. These launches have reinforced fortification as a shared public–private priority and positioned millers as national champions of nutrition.
In Bangladesh, ACI Pure Fortified Rice became the country’s first national fortified rice brand available in open markets, following inspiration and technical support provided by Millers for Nutrition.
Although fortified rice has long been distributed through government social safety net programs, this marks the first time that a large consumer brand has taken it to the wider public, a move expected to reshape eating habits and accelerate the country’s fight against micronutrient deficiencies.Following the success of its Fortified Rice brand launch, ACI also launched Fortified Atta under the brand name ACI Pure.
In India, several leading millers in Gujarat, West Bengal and Punjab have launched fortified atta and rice brands with Millers for Nutrition’s technical and brand-building assistance, making these products widely available to consumers.
India is also leading the way in food safety and quality assurance for fortification. Millers for Nutrition is supporting the establishment of six Model Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) units across Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. These units are getting equipped with Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) and ISO 22000:2018 certification, setting new benchmarks for fortified rice production under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Designed as Centers of Excellence, they provide platforms for FRK manufacturers, technical support units, and even foreign delegations to learn and adopt international best practices in fortification, food safety, and quality management.
In Indonesia, Millers for Nutrition has provided Technical Assistance to several existing FRK manufacturers to streamline the production process and achieve cost optimization. It is also working in close collaboration with the country’s largest Rice industry association PERPADI and various Development sector partners to ensure domestic capacity build up which can support incorporation of Fortified Rice in the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.
Millers for Nutrition is establishing Asia as a hub of innovation and leadership in fortification — proving that fortified foods can scale rapidly when industry takes ownership, creating a sustainable, mainstream solution to hidden hunger and malnutrition.
