World Grain - October 2017 - 102

FEATURE: Q&A WITH SCOTT MONTGOMERY

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bread chapatti. Many consumers traditionally have their grain ground in
small, unorganized stone mills. But
we are making progress in many states
in getting the government to support
WKHRSWLRQRIVXSSO\LQJWKHEHQH¿FLDries of the public distribution system
(PDS) with ready-ground, wholemeal
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EDTA, folic acid and vitamin B12 instead of with grain. It is estimated that
the PDS can reach greater than 50%
of the Indian population, including the
most vulnerable.

the fundamental removal of nutrients
during milling into account. The fact
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we remove most of the vitamins and
minerals naturally present in the grain.
This loss could be made up for simply
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respect. On the one hand, most of the
VFLHQWL¿FUHVHDUFKVWXGLHVRQWKHFRQsequences of malnutrition come from
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of supplementation certainly exists.
Nevertheless, nothing is happening at
all. Does it have something to do with
the food scandals of recent years?
WG:6SHDNLQJRIH൵HFWLYHQHVVWKH Perhaps. However, we are still perseIRUWL¿FDWLRQ RI ÀRXU ZLWK YLWDPLQV vering and trying to get in touch with
seems to work well and bring quick the relevant government authorities.
success. But progress in preventing
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WG: Even if there are no statutory
is that?
regulations, the Chinese mills could
Montgomery: With the trace ele- VWLOO IRUWLI\ WKHLU ÀRXU ZLWK PLFURQXment iron it is especially important trients on a voluntary basis. Is that opto choose the right compound in the tion used?
right amount. South Africa is a typical
Montgomery: The Chinese milling
example. Electrolytic iron was used industry is expanding enormously - but
there for over 10 years, without bring- RQO\ RI WKH PLOOV IRUWLI\ WKHLU ÀRXU
ing any improvement in the health of YROXQWDULO\7KHVH ÀRXUV DUH ERXJKW E\
the population. The quantity added, consumers who are aware of the nutri30 ppm, was simply too little, and its WLRQDO EHQH¿W DQG ZLOOLQJ WR SD\ PRUH
bioavailability was too low. But in the for it. But it is the very poor and needy
last legislative period it was decided who are unable to do so. Therefore, forto use sodium iron EDTA instead; that WL¿FDWLRQPXVWEHPDQGDWRU\7KDWLVWKH
LVE\IDUWKHPRVWH൵HFWLYHLURQIRUPX- only way to reach the masses.
lation. Things will change now.

WG: If the wheat in these regions
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necessary?
Montgomery: Unfortunately, it's a
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contains enough micronutrients to preYHQWGH¿FLHQF\V\PSWRPV)RULQVWDQFH
its natural folic acid content is far too
ORZ WR SUHYHQW VSLQD EL¿GD DQ RSHQing in the vertebral column, in babies.
To make matters worse, the wholemeal
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the bioavailability of the natural iron in
wheat. That means it's important to forWG: ,V LW SRVVLEOH WR SURYH WKH H൶WLI\ZKROHPHDOÀRXUWRR
FDF\RIÀRXUIRUWL¿FDWLRQEH\RQGGRXEW"
Montgomery: It certainly is if there
WG: That sounds like a plea for the DUHHQRXJKGDWD²RQWKH)LML,VODQGV
IRUWL¿FDWLRQRIDOOÀRXUV±ZKROHPHDO for example. Six years after the start
ÀRXUDVZHOODVWRSÀRXU"
RI ÀRXU IRUWL¿FDWLRQ WKH LQFLGHQFH RI
Montgomery: That would be pref- anaemia in women of child-bearing
erable, but in practice it's scarcely age had fallen from 40% to 28%. Zinc
done at present. According to U.S. GH¿FLHQF\ LV QR SUREOHP DW DOO QRZ
regulations, for example, it would not $QG WKH LQFLGHQFH RI IROLF DFLG GH¿even be permitted to extend supple- ciency is only 1%.
PHQWDWLRQWRZKROHPHDOÀRXU%XWWKH
PDUNHWVKDUHRIZKROHPHDOÀRXUWKHUH
WG: 7KRVH DUH LPSUHVVLYH ¿Jis currently only approximately 7%. ures. But the question then is why
If the percentage were to increase we ÀRXU IRUWL¿FDWLRQ LVQ¶W SUDFWLFHG IDU
would have to try and persuade the more widely, at least in the developgovernment to change the regulations. ing and emerging countries. After
all, the health of the population is diWG: Are you making progress in rectly related to a nation's economic
Europe?
performance.
Montgomery: The industrialized
Montgomery: That really is frusstates of Western Europe are a really trating, sometimes. China, the country
big challenge to us. They reject for- with the world's biggest population, is
WL¿FDWLRQ RI DQ\ NLQG ZLWKRXW WDNLQJ very much of a mystery to us in that
102

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cause displeasure among the millers
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who ultimately have to bear the cost
and the extra work.
Montgomery::KHDWÀRXULVDXQLversal staple food that is excellently
VXLWHG IRU IRUWL¿FDWLRQ ZLWK PLFURQXtrients. Implementation presents no
problems and is very cheap; it has no
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the products. So the milling industry is
a key ally in the battle against malnutrition. But what we must emphasize
even more in the future is the importance mills have for society. Millers
ZKR IRUWLI\ PDNH D VLJQL¿FDQW FRQtribution to preserving the health of
a country. We must do much more to
acknowledge this commitment.
We want to hear from you - Send comments and
inquiries to worldgrain@sosland.com. For reprints of
WG articles, e-mail reprints@sosland.com.

October 2017 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - October 2017

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