All eyes in the group clustered around the machine are fixed on what is materializing before them. The function the machine, a micro-feeder, plays in the production of flour is not immediately obvious. This group, all active participants in flour processing, is curious about what the gleaming steel machine means for their small businesses. At the push of a button, finely-milled white flour, enriched with vitamins and minerals, flows out of the micro-feeder into a bowl, under their close observation. The group is receiving hands-on training in how to calibrate a micro-feeder as part of a call-to-action by the Kenyan Cereal Millers Association (CMA) at the World Economic Forum (WEF) for a new industry-led initiative – the Millers for Nutrition (M4N), part of a larger effort to promote food fortification in Kenya and worldwide.
Enhancing Nutrition and Quality: Kenya’s First Food Processing and Nutrition Leadership Forum
This June, TechnoServe and CMA will convene the first Kenya Food Processing and Nutrition Leadership Forum (CEO Forum) to bring together stakeholders from the private sector, government, and civil society. The gathering will highlight the role of millers in supporting nutrition, address shared challenges, and discuss innovative solutions by officially launching the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI).
The Launch of the Kenya Millers Fortification Index
The KMFI is the first industry-led self-regulatory mechanism, with participating company performance eventually culminating in a ranked list of fortified food brands. It aims to facilitate and strengthen the commitment of leading flour millers toward providing consumers with greater access to high quality nutritious food products based on quality standards established by the Government of Kenya, by harnessing the competitive nature of companies around their brands. The initiative also seeks to engage producers of other staple foods, putting improved nutrition at the core of their brand quality assurance processes. The CEO Forum will also give CEOs a chance to review progress made as an industry.
The Kenya CEO Forum will mark an important milestone in Kenya’s food industry as prominent flour millers gather to address shared challenges and promote nutrition. With the launch of the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI), these first market movers have shown a commitment to food fortification excellence: Spice World Ltd., Maisha Flour Mills Ltd., UNGA Limited, Mombasa Maize Millers Ltd., and Pembe Flour Mills Ltd., have each put their brands forward by participating in the KMFI pilot to assess and rank them on food fortification and quality, and to demonstrate their commitment to providing consumers with nutritious fortified food products that meet national standards and industry best practice.
Spice World Ltd
Since 1993, Spice World Ltd. has grown into a leading regional importer, exporter, and distributor of agricultural commodities and food products. As a market leader in Kenya, the company processes a variety of products sold under the flagship BUTTERFLY brand, which has been recognized as a SUPER BRAND.
Under the leadership of Managing Director Beju Shah, Spice World Ltd. recognizes the disciplines of quality, health, safety, and environmental management as integral parts of its management and believes they are necessary to adopt appropriate quality standards and good business practices.
The company’s mission is to inspire people to make healthier food choices and care about where food comes from by processing nutritious grains of high quality and educating their audience on the impact food choices have on our planet. The company strives to provide service excellence to its internal and external audiences through integrity and transparency.
Maisha Flour Mills Ltd.
Maisha Flour Mills Ltd. was established in Kenya in 1993 as a family business. Under the leadership of owner Kamaldeep Phull, the company is committed to producing high-quality flour made from pure, wholesome wheat products for its ever-growing market. Their staff comprises qualified millers, maintenance engineers, sales managers, and others. Their dreams and intentions have always been to provide healthier alternatives to meals for Kenyans through an array of products.
The company exports its premium products mainly to the East African region and prides itself on the highest level of service and strong customer relations.
UNGA Limited
UNGA Limited is an affiliate company of UNGA Holdings and is one of the largest millers in East Africa, with a heritage of over a century in grain milling. By the 1970s, UNGA Limited had become the largest grain miller in East Africa.
Under the leadership of Group Managing Director Joseph M. Choge, the company strives to provide a variety of superior human nutritional products, ranging from wheat flour products to maize meal, porridge, pulses, and rice. Their range of wheat and maize products is versatile to suit the needs of our customers and is made from the finest and most carefully selected grains to ensure that they offer superior nutrition to our customers.
Mombasa Maize Millers Ltd.
Since its founding in 1978, Mombasa Maize Millers Ltd. has experienced phenomenal growth through the quality of its products, efficient service, and the value the company places on the satisfaction of its customers. The group has diversified over time, producing maize flour, wheat flour, sugar, salt, animal feeds, confectionery, and edible oils.
Under the leadership of Mohamad Islam, Mombasa Maize Millers Ltd. operates seven mills located in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Kitale, with a total milling capacity of 5,577,695 pounds of wheat and 3,229,772 pounds of maize per day. The company operates a network of 17 sales depots located in every major town in Kenya so that 250 trucks can distribute the flour. On a seasonal basis, the company operates purchasing centers for grains, which are located in the main harvesting areas of the country.
Mombasa Maize Millers supports different initiatives and projects that provide sustainable solutions to the most pressing social challenges. The company has been a part of the community since its establishment, helping youth and institutions of higher learning in and around Kenya achieve their goals by participating passionately in promoting their various activities.
Pembe Flour Mills Ltd.
Pembe, a well-recognized brand name in most households over the decades, is renowned for its superior and consistent quality. From its beginnings in 1989 in a small section of Nairobi’s Industrial Area, Pembe Flour Mills Ltd. has become one of Kenya’s leading manufacturers of fortified maize flour, wheat flour, atta Mark 1, whole meal, porridges, baker’s flour, biscuit flour, and animal feeds.
The company believes in using the best ingredients to manufacture the best product. They have the latest, top-of-the-line automated technology to ensure product perfection and try to cater to customers as best they can through their dedicated customer care department.
The Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI) and the Path to Nutritious Food Accessibility
By participating in this pilot self-regulatory mechanism, these millers aim to enhance their brand reputation, project a mark of quality to consumers, and ultimately improve the accessibility of nutritious food options for the people of Kenya. This forum will foster innovative solutions and drive the industry toward a healthier and more sustainable future through collaboration between the private sector, government, and civil society.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this post incorrectly listed Riaz Jaffer as the director of Pembe Flour Mills Ltd. Kenya. Suad Abubaker is the director of Pembe Flour Mills Kenya.
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