CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Millers for Nutrition, a coalition of key food fortification stakeholders dedicated to helping millers fortify staple foods, is proud to announce a partnership with Fortify Health and The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an implementing partner of the PM POSHAN program, to supply fortified wheat flour to 3416 schools in Gujarat. The flour will be used to make meals for over 400,000 children.

As part of this initiative, millers including Century Industries (Ahmedabad), Shakti Food Industries (Bhuj), Achyut Cereals & Pulses (Jamnagar), Shreeji Food Products (Vadodara), Momai Traders (Bhavnagar), and Giriraj Food Product (Surat) will collectively supply about 350 metric tons of fortified wheat flour every month to Akshaya Patra’s centralized kitchens in these cities, ensuring a steady and nutritious food supply for students.

“Millers for Nutrition is proud to partner with Fortify Health and The Akshaya Patra Foundation to enhance nutrition in India,” said Monojit Indra, Senior Practice Lead, TechnoServe. “Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of millions of children across the country.”

Over the past year, Millers for Nutrition, in collaboration with Fortify Health, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and the Gujarat Roller Flour Millers Association, has conducted fortification trainings in Gujarat to help millers produce high-quality fortified wheat flour. Demonstrating a win-win-win, the initiative has successfully scaled up wheat flour fortification, enhanced children’s nutrition, and supported miller businesses.

Sri Bharatarshabha Dasa, Trustee and National President at The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “We at The Akshaya Patra Foundation are honored to collaborate with Millers for Nutrition and Fortify Health in this transformative initiative. By integrating fortified wheat flour into the meals of over 400,000 children in Gujarat, we are not just addressing nutritional needs but are actively contributing to a brighter, healthier future for the next generation. This partnership stands as a testament to the power of collaborative effort in making substantial health improvements across communities. Together, we are setting a remarkable precedent for nutritional welfare in India.”

Tony Senanayake, CEO at Fortify Health, said, “Fortify Health is proud to collaborate with The Akshay Patra Foundation leading the way in institutional nutrition across Gujarat. They are delivering high-quality, iron-fortified chakki atta through six central kitchens, reaching over 4 lakh vulnerable individuals, including school children under PM-Poshan. This partnership demonstrates how simple, scalable interventions can effectively improve public health and nutrition outcomes in a state with a high anaemia burden.”

About The Akshaya Patra Foundation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which strives to address classroom hunger and malnutrition in India. As the implementing partner of the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Abhiyaan (Mid-Day Meal Scheme), the Foundation provides hot, nutritious and tasty mid-day meals to children in government and government-aided schools every day to support their nutrition and education.

In partnership with the Government of India, various state governments and UT administrations, and the inestimable support of many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, the Foundation has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 school children across five schools to becoming one of the largest (not-for-profit run) school feeding programme in the world, serving wholesome food to over 2.25 million children from 23,000+ schools across 17 States and 3 Union Territories in India.

#nutrition #India #FortifyHealth #TheAkshayaPatraFoundation #foodsecurity #publichealth #wheatfortification #childnutrition #NGOpartnership #malnutrition