Union Cabinet Approves Continuation Fortified Rice

General Studies Paper-2

Context: The Union Cabinet extends the rice fortification initiative across welfare schemes until 2028 to combat anemia and nutritional deficiencies.

Background

• The rice fortification would continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Centre in order to ensure inclusive nutritional security in the country.
• The free fortified rice will be provided under programmes such as Targeted Public Distribution System, Integrated Child Development Service, PM POSHAN, in all the States and Union Territories.
• FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has established Food Fortification Resource Centre (FFRC) as a resource center to promote large-scale fortification of food

What is food fortification?

• According to WHO, fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of one or more micronutrients (i.e., vitamins and minerals) in a food or condiment.
• This is done to improve the nutritional quality of the food and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.

Food Fortification in India

• Rice fortification involves the addition of fortified rice kernels enriched with micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B 12) as per standards prescribed by FSSAI to regular rice.
• Milk is fortified with vitamins A and D, which helps in combating deficiencies linked to these vitamins.
• Salt fortified with iodine (iodized salt) to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.

Advantages of fortification in India

• Addressing Nutritional Deficiencies: India faces significant issues related to hidden hunger, where micronutrient deficiencies exist even if calorie intake is adequate.
• Fortification tackles deficiencies like anemia (iron), rickets (vitamin D), and blindness (vitamin A).
• Cost-Effective: Fortification is an inexpensive way to improve the nutritional value of foods without requiring people to change their eating habits.
• Improved Public Health: By preventing conditions like anemia, iodine deficiency etc. Fortification leads to better results in cases of maternal and infant mortality.
• According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), anemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels.
• The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every 1 Rupee spent on fortification results in 9 Rupees in benefits to the economy.

Concerns of food fortification

• Absorption: The added nutrients are not always fully absorbed by the body due to factors like cooking methods and the presence of inhibitors in food.
• Example: Phytates in cereals that hinder iron absorption.
• Regulatory Oversight: Without strict regulatory oversight, there is a risk of inadequate or excessive fortification, which could undermine the health benefits.
• Limited Access: Fortified food products fail to reach the poorest segments of society (Low Purchasing Power), who are among the worst section affected with nutritional deficiencies.

Government Measures

• The ‘F+’ logo is an initiative by the FSSAI to standardize and indicate fortified foods.
• The Milk Fortification Project is a major initiative by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), undertaken in collaboration with the World Bank. The project’s goal is to fortify milk with vitamins A and D.

Way Ahead

• Food fortification offers a powerful tool for addressing India’s significant malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency challenges.
• While it is not a panacea, when combined with other nutritional strategies and strong governmental support, it can help improve public health and contribute to the nation’s sustainable development goals.