Share<\/strong> 0<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n By Andrew Nsoseka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nestl\u00e9 Cameroun has opened its Bonaberi factory in Douala to journalists as part of a media engagement focused on nutrition, iron fortification, product quality and the company\u2019s approach to addressing micronutrient deficiencies in Cameroon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The September 3, 2026 programme, organised under the theme \u201cNutrition & Iron Fortification Awareness Session,\u201d brought journalists together with Nestl\u00e9 Central and West Africa officials for a combination of technical presentations, discussions and an extensive tour of the company\u2019s manufacturing facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The session was led by Patricia Ekaba, Head of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Nutrition, Health & Wellness and Sustainability at Nestl\u00e9 Central & West Africa, alongside Lisette Moka, CCPA & Sustainability Manager, Nestl\u00e9 Central Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The journalists were drilled on Nestl\u00e9\u2019s Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy and the role of food fortification in child nutrition, followed by a guided factory visit led by the production and quality assurance teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Brehima Cissoko, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager for Nestl\u00e9 Central & West Africa, speaking to reporters<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking during the nutrition awareness session, Dr Brehima Cissoko, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager for Nestl\u00e9 Central & West Africa, described micronutrient deficiency as a \u201csilent\u201d and largely invisible crisis in Central and West Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He explained that a child may have enough food to fill the stomach while still lacking essential nutrients such as iron, vitamin A and zinc \u2014 a situation commonly referred to as hidden hunger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Cissoko, iron deficiency is particularly significant in the region, affecting children under five, pregnant women and women of reproductive age. He said deficiencies in essential micronutrients can affect immunity, physical growth, learning and cognitive development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Cameroon, he said, approximately 63 per cent of children under five are affected by iron deficiency, illustrating the scale of the nutritional challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cissoko stressed that tackling malnutrition cannot be left to a single institution or sector. Governments, health professionals, researchers, consumers and the food industry all have roles to play through regulation, research, awareness, treatment, healthier lifestyles and the production of nutritionally improved foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortification As A Public Health Tool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A major focus of the session was food fortification \u2014 the addition of appropriate quantities of essential micronutrients to widely consumed foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cissoko explained that fortification can help address population-wide nutritional deficiencies when nutrients such as iron, iodine and vitamins are added to foods consumed regularly by large numbers of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He cited Nestl\u00e9 products including NIDO and MAGGI as examples of products that are fortified with selected micronutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the company\u2019s approach goes beyond adding nutrients to products, stressing that Nestl\u00e9\u2019s Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy is guided by science and involves continuous product improvement, reduction of nutrients of concern such as salt, sugar and saturated fats, and the addition of nutrients with positive health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The presentation also emphasised that product reformulation does not necessarily mean that an earlier product was unsafe or inadequate, but reflects evolving scientific evidence and changing nutritional needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Critical Early Years And Place of Essential Nutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Valerie Ngo Mbeng, Dairy Category Manager at Nestl\u00e9 Central Africa, focused on the importance of nutrition during early childhood, particularly from birth to the age of two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She noted that the first years of life are marked by rapid physical, intellectual and psychomotor development, with approximately 80 per cent of brain development taking place by the age of two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ngo Mbeng linked adequate nutrition during this period to immunity, cognitive development, learning and overall child growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She particularly highlighted iron, explaining that prolonged iron deficiency can contribute to anaemia and affect a child\u2019s ability to concentrate, learn and retain information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her presentation also highlighted the roles of vitamins A, C and D, zinc and prebiotics in supporting children\u2019s development and immune systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Nutrition To Production<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The nutrition discussions were followed by an extensive tour of the Nestl\u00e9 Bonaberi factory, allowing journalists to move beyond the presentations and observe the production environment and processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The factory visit was led by Yeye Hilaire, Nestl\u00e9 Douala Factory Production Manager, and Lovelyn Tambang, Nestl\u00e9 Douala Factory Quality Assurance Manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Particular attention was paid to quality assurance and safety controls, with journalists observing procedures designed to ensure that products manufactured at the facility meet the required standards before reaching consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The visit provided a practical dimension to Nestl\u00e9\u2019s message that nutrition and product quality are interconnected, and that nutritional claims and fortification are only meaningful when products are manufactured under controlled conditions and meet established safety and quality requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This emphasis on safety was also reflected in remarks made by Patricia Ekaba. Ekaba explained that safety at Nestl\u00e9 involves multiple layers of controls, including repeated handwashing, appropriate protective equipment, clothing disinfection and the use of specialised sieves during production. She stressed that, when it comes to safety, \u201cit is better to do too much than not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The factory tour gave journalists an opportunity to see first-hand the measures behind the company\u2019s claims on product safety and quality, rather than relying solely on presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ekaba: Nutrition Is A Shared Responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Patricia Ekaba, Head of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Nutrition, Health & Wellness and Sustainability at Nestl\u00e9 Central & West Africa speaking to reporters<\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone in charge of the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs as well as Consumer Engagement Services, Nutrition, Health & Wellness and Sustainability across Central and West Africa, Patricia Ekaba\u2019s participation placed the factory visit within a wider conversation about nutrition, public health and responsible communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her engagement with journalists in Douala came at a time when nutrition, food safety and consumer confidence remain important issues for the food industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The media visit also provided an opportunity for journalists to question Nestl\u00e9 officials directly during the scheduled Q&A session, with Ekaba, Cissoko, Moka and others responding to questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Nestl\u00e9, the engagement was not limited to showcasing its products. It sought to explain the scientific reasoning behind fortification, the nutritional challenges it says its products are intended to address, and the systems in place to control quality throughout the manufacturing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bonaberi visit offered journalists a closer look at the connection between nutrition science, food fortification, manufacturing standards and consumer safety \u2014 areas Nestl\u00e9 says form part of its broader contribution to addressing nutritional challenges in Cameroon and the wider Central and West African region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2022 Says It Is Targeting Cameroon\u2019s Micronutrient Deficiency With Fortified Foods by ThePost September 7, 2026 Share 0 By Andrew Nsoseka Nestl\u00e9 Cameroun has opened its Bonaberi…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8,1,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-lifestyle","category-localnews","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions\/167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/npthepost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/thepostnpcameroon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Dr-Brehima-Cissoko-Nutrition-Health-and-Wellness-Manager-for-Nestle-Central-West-Africa-speaking-to-reporters-300x169.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Inside](\"https:\/\/thepostnpcameroon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Inside-Nestle-product-tasting-laboratory-300x169.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Patricia](\"https:\/\/thepostnpcameroon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Patricia-Ekaba-Head-of-Corporate-Communications-Public-Affairs-Nutrition-Health-Wellness-and-Sustainability-at-Nestle-Central-West-Africa-speaking-to-reporters-300x169.jpeg\")
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