BASF Leverages Micronutrients Lab to Support SMS Entrepreneurs

Mary Nnah

BASF West Africa is supporting the food fortification agenda of the Nigerian government by collaborating with one of its key customers, EDCEL Limited, to launch Vitamin A premix for edible oils, targeted at small and medium scale entrepreneurs.

It has been observed that the edible oil industry is highly fragmented, with small millers being responsible for more than 60 per cent of the production of edible oils in Nigeria.

Recognising the aforesaid fact and also having identified that the edible oils industry is lagging in attaining approved compliance levels for fortification, BASF West Africa, in partnership with EDCEL Limited, is introducing the Vitamin A oil premix as an innovative solution which will give small and medium scale entrepreneurs access to an affordable pack size of Vitamin A with which they can fortify edible oils, irrespective of the quantities being produced.

Another major challenge supposedly faced by these micro millers is the lack of dosing equipment and analytical test equipment. Acquiring this equipment, they say, is costly and requires specialised technical skills to operate.

Interestingly, with its micronutrients testing laboratory opened on its Ilupeju site in 2019, BASF West Africa is rightly positioned to offer technical and analytical services for all large and small-scale millers across the country.

Speaking at the launch event recently, Managing Director for BASF West Africa, Dr. JeanMarc Ricca, said that with this innovation, Nigeria can look forward to improved statistics in reducing malnutrition and the elimination of hidden hunger, particularly at the base of the income pyramid.

Ricca said further that the lack of micronutrients in their daily diets results in children and young adults being more vulnerable to diseases and they are usually at greater risk of death.

“Poor nutrition also prevents children from realising their full potential – stunting not only their physical and intellectual growth, but also their future ambition, educational and employment opportunities”, he added.

The MD who said that BASF’s food fortification efforts aim to realise the five UN Sustainable Development Goals, which include zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, reduced inequalities, decent work and economic growth, and partnerships for the goals, added that more information about BASF Food Fortification can be found on it website: www.food-fortification.com.

Managing Director of EDCEL Limited, Mr. Cletus Chibuko, the producer of CEED Vitamin A premix, said that in developing countries such as Nigeria, a large section of the population has poor access to eggs, fish, dairy products, colourful produce and fortified cereals.

“CEED Vitamin A premix is set to address micronutrient deficiency of Vitamin A and Vitamin D through the fortification of edible oil, a primary ingredient in many food end-products, and which is widely used and available through all strata of the Nigerian society”, he said.

“Combating malnutrition through food fortification is critical for long term development and many countries across the region of Africa implement fortification in food processing, which can be achieved together by industry, government development leaders and individuals”, he added.

BASF West Africa Limited was established in Lagos, Nigeria in July 2012. Industry portfolios represented in the West African region include chemicals, plastics, dispersions, agricultural products, nutrition, oil and gas.

BASF products are used for industrial applications in a variety of sectors including paper, packaging, leather, detergents, cosmetics, construction, mining, agriculture, and automotive industries. In 2015 a construction chemicals production facility was opened in Lagos to serve the West African market, and in 2019 an African hair and skin care Application Technology Laboratory for personal care, serving sub-Saharan Africa, was inaugurated.,