KUWAIT: Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company, in cooperation with the Food and Nutrition Authority, announced the addition of vitamin D to wheat flour according to international standards and as applied in some Arab and international countries. Chief Executive Officer Mutlaq Al-Zayed said in a statement yesterday that fortifying flour with iron and folic acid is an effective way to maintain the level of vitamin D in the body, reduce its deficiency and prevent diseases associated with it.

The mills sector can play an important role for people suffering from vitamin D deficiency, as basic ingredients will be enriched with this vitamin, Zayed said, adding that mixtures containing vitamin D can eliminate the dangerous effects of this vitamin's deficiency. A small study will be made on flour with vitamin D to follow up and evaluate the flour enrichment program to prepare reports on the final product, he added.

In light of the current health conditions to confront the spread of COVID-19, the company saw the dire need to produce flour with vitamin D, which plays an important role in strengthening the immune system of the body, Zayed stressed. The company is moving forward rapidly to achieve food security according to an effective implementation mechanism and plans, as it has attached special importance to food security as a basic strategy in its vision, he said.

The Mills Company was established in 1961 and began industrial activity in 1965. In 1986 it merged with the Kuwait Bakeries Company to become the Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company. - KUNA