Maggi fortified to address dietary deficiency in Nigeria – Nestle CEO

Nestlé, the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company, has reaffirmed its commitment to help reduce undernutrition in Nigeria through micronutrient fortification. Speaking with journalists during a tour of its Agbara, Ogun State factory recently, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nestlé Nigeria, Chief Dharnesh Gordhon, said in 2012, Nestlé introduced a new range of fortified bouillon cubes by adding iron to the already iodine-fortified Maggi brand seasonings.
Gordhon said in 2014, Nestlé reached 18.3 million households in Nigeria with iron-fortified Maggi cubes.
Gordhon said Nestlé has a huge stake in rural communities in Nigeria, sourcing agricultural raw materials from many farmers in the country.
He said in 2014 alone, the company purchased 9,660 tonnes of soybean from local farmers in Nigeria.
Soybean is a key element in the ingredient mix in Maggi production to provide a distinctive fermented flavour.
Also speaking during the tour, Nordine Meguini, Category Business Manager, Culinary, said in addition to improving the nutritional value of Maggi by adding micronutrients, Maggi product portfolio also promotes home cooking and consumption of vegetables through the home garden initiative and Maggi Star Kitchen.
Meguini said Maggi Star Kitchen travels to towns and cities week by week, providing information about balanced diets, micronutrient deficiencies and the importance of culinary hygiene through interactive cooking demonstrations, women’s forums, group discussions and presentation on micronutrient fortification.
Meguini said in 2014, Maggi Star Kitchen reached 2.3 million people in Nigeria, while about 15,000 women are benefitting from the home garden initiative.
In the course of this visit to the factory, members of the media had the opportunity to a firsthand view of the production process.
The Factory Manager, Rakesh Verma, used the opportunity of the visit to share the secret of the decades of success of Maggi brand in Nigeria, which can be attributed to the special ingredients in the product that is prepared in a unique way that only Maggi knows – best quality, locally sourced soybean which is a key element in the ingredient mix to provide a distinctive fermented flavour.
Commenting on the quality of Maggi, Rakesh said the company has put in place a strict quality management system to check the quality and safety of products throughout the manufacturing process, from the raw materials to the finished products.
Each Maggi cube undergoes up to 300 quality controls during the manufacturing process.
The factory tour ended with a cooking demonstration.
Each journalist cooked a simple but healthy delicacy: Fish in green sauce, seasoned with Maggi cubes.