WHO official: Iran capable in flour enrichment industry

A WHO official, while pointing to Iran’s capabilities in flour enrichment, said reduction of salt, fat and sugar in Iranian food products is eye-catching.

Dr. Oleg Chestnov, Assistant Director-General for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health at World Health Organization (WHO), made the remark saying “WHO representatives have travelled to Iran aiming to meet the country’s food industry activists in order to learn about the industry’s achievements for improving the quality of food products.”

“The strategy adopted by Iran in food industry will bring about a positive future as the implemented programs are in accordance with international hygiene standards,” he noted.

Chestnov underlined that boosting food quality in line with improving public health marks a time-consuming process; “meanwhile, Iran’s food industry is moving towards the same goal without bringing about extra costs for customers.”

Secretary General of Iran Food Industries Associations Kaveh Zargaran, while speaking at a meeting with the visiting WHO official, said Iran ranks third in the world in terms of food variety; “with more than 10,000 production units and 400,000 job opportunities, the Iranian food industry enjoys the capacity to absorb and process more than 150 million tons of raw agricultural materials.”

“By producing 30 of the 70 kinds of food materials and food products in the world, Iran marks one of the largest producers also enjoying a niche in term of production diversity,” he continued.

Zargaran, while pointing to the role of food industries in public health, enumerated the measures taken by the country’s relevant organization including the national campaign to enrich flour, production of breads fortified with folic acid and iron to compensate for iron deficiency across the country as well as the national project to distribute milk and fortified bread in schools.

“Iranian food industry activists pursue enhancement of public health as their top priority,” highlighted the official stressing “construction of salt treatment plants as well as reduction of trans fatty acids mark the most major steps taken over the past ten years in addition to lowering amounts of sugar and salt in food products.”

Zargaran further stated that “improvements in the quality of food products has been made possible through interaction and collaboration between government and the private sector.”