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CAMBODIA’S largest manufacturer of rice and corn crackers, LyLy Food Industry Co Ltd, pronounced “Lilly”, sells 900,000 packages of crackers every day – and has one of the most ideal micronutrient delivery systems that can reach the Cambodian population not only in the cities, but in the far reaches of the provinces.

Director Keo Mom fortifies her crackers, which are made with a blend of rice and corn, with vitamins A, B1, B6, C, calcium, zinc and iron using micronutrients from BASF and from nutrient suppliers in China.

“BASF gives me vitamin A for free,” she said.

The secret to her success is the low price, with the small packages costing only 100 riel each to consumers all over Cambodia.

She’s been in business since May 1992, with new factory premises now located just near Phnom Penh Airport.

“In the beginning I was a seller of rice crackers, importing them from Vietnam and Thailand, but I thought we in Cambodia could produce our own,” she said.

She operates two production lines that grind the corn and rice, mix the micronutrients and they end up with close to one million packages shipped out the door every day.

“We can help Cambodian people to have good health and decrease the disability of children,” she said.

“With the nutrition in our snack, I feel very happy that we can help the health of Cambodian children.”

Both the corn and the rice are grown in Cambodia. The LyLy factory consumes 150 tons each of rice and corn per month.

Keo has received support from an NGO called IMPACT, which supplied vitamins to add to her products.