With the support of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the State Institution "Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development", in cooperation with the Agency for Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection (Tajikstandard) under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the State Subsidiary Enterprise "Revolving Fund for Food Fortification in Tajikistan," recently organized a roundtable discussion at the Sughdiyon Hotel in Khujand entitled: "The Fortified Food Product Label – Consumer Confidence Begins with Packaging."
The event was attended by Leo Schulte-Wennborg, Representative of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Tajikistan; Malohat Rustamzoda, Deputy Director of the Tajikstandard Agency; Anvar Yaqubi, Deputy Chairman of Sughd Region; Boymurod Kurbonzoda, Deputy Director of the State Institution "Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development"; representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan, the State Institution "National Patent and Information Centre" under the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, as well as managers of flour and salt production enterprises, specialists from the Tajikstandard regional office, and other development partners.
Opening the event, Malohat Rustamzoda, Deputy Director of the Tajikstandard Agency, noted that the main objective of the roundtable was to introduce, discuss, and agree on the concept of a national fortified food product label, determine the procedures for its use, and encourage manufacturers to adopt the label.
She emphasized that the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan continues to prioritize the protection of public health by paying particular attention to food safety and healthy nutrition. In this regard, a number of state programs have been adopted and are being implemented to improve the nutritional well-being of the population.
It was further noted that vitamin and mineral deficiencies remain one of the major public health challenges today. Insufficient intake of essential micronutrients contributes to various health conditions and negatively affects the physical and cognitive development of the population, particularly children and pregnant women.
Deputy Chairman of Sughd Region Anvar Yaqubi expressed his appreciation to the organizers of the roundtable, noting that international experience demonstrates that fortifying widely consumed food products is among the most effective approaches to preventing micronutrient deficiencies. He emphasized that, recognizing the importance of this issue, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has implemented significant measures to fortify premium and first-grade wheat flour and iodize table salt, both of which are staple food products consumed by the population.
During the roundtable, representatives of wheat flour and table salt manufacturing enterprises, government agencies, specialized institutions, and other stakeholders discussed a number of important topics, including presentation of proposed designs for the fortified food product label, requirements for the placement and use of the label on product packaging; rules governing the use of the label by manufacturers, development of recommendations for branding and promoting fortified food products in the marketplace.
Participants also reviewed and discussed the proposed design of the national fortified food product label for use in the production and promotion of domestically manufactured food products.
In addition to explaining the purpose and significance of the fortified food product label, presenters provided information on the Revolving Fund, technical capacity strengthening, laboratory testing and purification equipment, and international best practices for food fortification labels. They also answered questions from participants.
On the first day of the event, the delegation held a working meeting at the Tajikstandard Regional Office in Sughd Province. The participants subsequently visited the Food and Agricultural Products Testing Laboratory to observe its operations and assess its laboratory facilities and technical capabilities.
