Section 2
Premix
Premix Components
Limitations of Using Individual Nutrients
Premix Formulation
How to Procure Premix
Estimated Premix Costs
Premix Shelf Life and Storage
Premix Components
The most common flour fortification practice is to add
multiple vitamins and minerals using a single ingredient
called a premix.
Premix includes:
• Fortificants (powdered vitamins and minerals)
• Excipients (carriers, fillers)
• Free-flow agent
Premix may have a yellow or green color. This
does not affect the color of flour because premix
is added in such small amounts.
Photo courtesy of Hexagon Nutrition
Non-Fortificant Premix Components
Excipient:
• Lowers premix bulk
density to match flour
• Improves feeding and
blending
• Also referred to as
carrier or filler
• Examples include
starch or maltodextrin
Free-flow agent:
• Keeps the premix
from clumping and
bridging in the hopper
• Examples include tricalcium phosphate or
precipitated silica
(silicon dioxide)
Limitations of Fortifying with
Individual Nutrients
• Used in very small amounts
• Tend to be excessively light or dense
compared to flour
• Tend to clump
• Difficult to feed individually
• Requires multiple feeders, checks and
adjustments
Folic acid, pictured here, is hard to add to flour individually due to the small
amounts needed. Recommended addition rates are 1 to 5 parts per million
based on the country’s consumption patterns. It is easier to add nutrients in a
premix with other vitamins and minerals. Photo by Jeff Gwirtz
Premix Benefits
• Easier to test
• Single feeder, check and adjustment
• Easier to feed
• Provides uniform nutrient distribution
• Single ingredient tracer possible
• Less expensive than buying individual nutrients
Individual nutrients, such as these pictured,
are more difficult to add to flour than a single
premix with a blend of the required nutrients.
Photo courtesy of WIN, World Initiative for Nutrition, a business unit of Fortitech
Premix Formulation
Manufacturers select ingredients and formulations based on:
• Compound composition
• Additive characteristics
– Bioavailability
– Storage stability
– Cost
• Targeted premix addition rate
Premix manufacturers create premix based on a
variety of factors.
Photo courtesy of Muehlenchemie GmbH & Co
Manufacturer Overages
Premix manufacturers usually
include nutrients at levels
approximately 2% to 5%
higher than listed on the label.
Premix photo courtesy of Muehlenchemie GmbH & Co
This accounts for potential
nutrient loss and ensures that
the premix meets the label
claims.
Flour Improvers
Flour improvers used in mills may include:
Enzymes
Oxidants
• Alpha Amylase
• Azodicarbonamide
• Protease
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Potassium bromate
• Ascorbic acid
Do not add these materials to the fortification
premix in a single feeder.
Risks of adding improvers to
fortification premix:
• Quality is compromised as addition of fortificant should
be constant but improver addition rates are adjusted to
meet specifications
• Shelf life of vitamins may be altered if combined with
improvers in a highly concentrated mix in the feeder
• Some fortificants can react with benzoyl peroxide and
degrade the nutritional value of the premix
How to Procure Premix
• Establish premix
specifications
• Develop list of alternate
suppliers
• Establish an economic
order quantity
• Conduct annual review
of:
• Establish internal re-order
point considering:
- Certificate of Analysis
- Pre-mix performance
-
Lead time
- Delivery Time
-
Inventory
- Quality
-
Production schedule
- Price
Establish Specifications To Include:
1. Definition
 Describe the product, source, intended purpose, processing aids
2. Chemical Analysis
 Moisture, vitamin activity, mineral content
3. Organoleptic qualities
 Aroma, taste
4. Physical
 Particle size, density, color, appearance
5. Bacteriological
 Total plate count, salmonella, staph, aureus, e. coli, yeast, molds
Specifications (continued)
6. Mycotoxin Status
 None should be present
7. Enzyme Activity
 Alpha-amylase if applicable
8. Functional/Characterization
 Nutritional improver
9. Packaging and Storage Conditions
 Package net weight, type and size, label declaration, storage conditions
(temperature and RH), shelf stability, length of time in storage
10. Dietary Law Status
Target, minimum, and maximum levels and test methods should be
identified for each specification as appropriate.
Purchasing Department
The Mill Purchasing Department keeps the following
information about the supplier on file:
• Name and address of the supplier’s company or
organization
• Name and phone number of the principal contact to
whom the order should be directed
• Name or type of the premix to order (specification)
• Standard amount of the premix ordered
• Premix price history
• Method and time of delivery
Premix Supplier Provides:
A Product Information Sheet or Fact Sheet including:
• Name and intended use of premix
• Name and contact information of manufacturer
• Ingredient composition of premix – usually in descending order
• Food grade status of ingredients (i.e. Food Chemicals Codex (FCC)
grade)
• Recommended addition rate of premix to flour and levels of
micronutrients added at that rate
• Certificate of analysis for each lot with:
- Minimum assay standards for the premix
- Maximum assay standards if any exist
• Storage and handling instructions
• Allowable storage periods or shelf life of premix
Keep this document on file at the mill.
Make it available to key operating and quality control personnel.
Premix Procurement Options
• Order domestically if possible to avoid importing fees
• Look for regional or global producers if needed
• Purchase from direct private enterprise, representative,
or broker
• Centralized, cooperative purchasing group such as a
local millers association may purchase in bulk for
members
• Some governments provide premix to all millers in
country
• Non-governmental agencies may provide premix for a
limited time
Procurement Alternatives
• GAIN Premix Facility: Competitive bids from approved
suppliers for a specified premix through an internet
bidding system. GAIN is the Global Alliance for Improved
Nutrition. See http://gpf.gainhealth.org/
• Some countries, such as South Africa, have created
approved premix supplier lists that must be used. See
http://www.grainmilling.org.za/ - click Vitamin Suppliers.
Please Note: No supplier is endorsed by this toolkit.
Potential suppliers should be thoroughly
investigated prior to purchasing premix.
Estimated Premix Costs
Premix
US $ per metric ton
of flour
Iron + folic acid
$0.85 - $3.00
Iron, folic acid, other B
vitamins
$1.60 - $3.90
Iron, folic acid, other B
vitamins, vitamin A
$2.85 - $9.90
Note: Estimates do not including shipping, import duties and value added tax.
Actual costs may vary by as much as 30% and is dependent on manufacturer,
location, amount ordered and should NOT be used as official market prices.
Cost Reduction Approaches
•
Pursue government reduction and/or elimination of
premix taxes and import fees
•
Seek price quotes from two or more suppliers to ensure
competitive bids.
•
Follow Economic Order Quantity principles:
-
Order large quantities as determined by premix shelf life
-
Commit to purchase premix from a single supplier for a
longer contract period
Premix Cost in the Supply Chain
Fortification costs are minimal throughout the supply chain.
Flour millers:
•
US$1.00 - $4.00 metric ton
Bakers and re-processors:
•
US $0.05 - $0.20 per 50 kilogram of flour
Consumers:
•
< US $0.02 per 5 kilogram bag of four
•
< US $0.003 per 1.5 kilogram loaf of bread
•
< US$0.001 for 250 grams pasta
Premix Shelf Life
•
Minerals are particularly stable
•
Vitamin effectiveness reduced over time
•
Premixes without vitamin A may keep their nutritional
value up to two years
•
Premixes with vitamin A may only keep their nutritional
value for 6 months
Notes: Premix manufacturers or distributors do not accept
return of premix that has exceeded its shelf life.
Shelf life may be further reduced if premix is stored
incorrectly at the mill.
Premix Storage
In the Warehouse:
• Readily accessible
• Not Exposed to:
- Sunlight
- Excessive Heat
- Moisture
- Damage or Theft
• First-In-First-Out (FIFO)
Above: http://www.flourarranging.com/2010/10/14/wright-out-ofnowhere
Below:
http://www.dnpint.com/email_newsletter/Ingredient_Times_No82.htm
On the Production Floor
Segregate premix and improvers by color coding or labeling.
Keep one or two working
boxes of premix near the
feeders for easy access.
Multiple feeders installed in a
row are known as a feeder bank.
Identify each feeder clearly to
prevent accidently mixing
improvers and premix.
Photo courtesy of Research Products
More information on Premix
• Recommended practices for premix manufacturers:
http://www.ffinetwork.org/implement/documents/Premix_Best_Practi
ce270408.pdf
• Answers to frequently asked questions about wheat flour milling:
http://www.ffinetwork.org/about/faq/faq_wheat_industry.html
• Code of Practice for Food Premix Operations
• Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/micronutrients/92_75_1258
9_9/en/index.html