China is drawing up a measure on the production and sale of micronutrient-reinforced flour in an effort to reduce the incidence of malnutrition.

Eighteen provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have begun producing micronutrient-reinforced flour, Ren Zhengxiao, deputy director of the State Grain Administration, said at an international conference on micronutrient-reinforced flour production.

Quite a number of people in China suffer from undernourishment. Consequently, the government has launched a three-year project to improve the condition of lacking micronutrient among Chinese.

Taking the chance of providing grain to farmers who gave up their land for forestry recovery, the State Grain Administration and the Health Ministry allocate flour mixed with vitamin, zinc and other necessary micronutrient to farmers.

Experiments at designated areas show the content of iron and zinc in people's blood has been increased substantially after people ate micronutrient-reinforced flour, Ren said.

Popularization of micronutrient-reinforced flour has been proved an effective way to prevent and reduce malnutrition, a participant said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2005)