Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced fortification of rice distributed under various government schemes including Public Distribution System (PDS) and Mid-Day-Meal scheme by 2024.
• The government is likely to announce a policy to help industry ramp up production of rice fortified with iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12.

Food Fortification

• Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.
• For example, adding iodine and iron to edible salt.

What is the need for Fortification in India?

• Malnutrition is the primary reason behind 69 per cent of deaths of children below the age of five in India, according to a UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2019 report.
• The report further states that every second child in India, under five years of age, is affected by some form of malnutrition.
• Malnutrition prevents brain development, body growth, immune systems from working effectively, and increases lifelong risk of disease and disability.
• India is ranked at 103 out of 119 countries on Global Hunger Index, 2017.
• Over 70 percent of India’s population still consumes less than 50 percent of RDA for micro-nutrients.
• One third of India’s population is suffering from vitamin and micro-nutrient deficiencies globally, are in India.
• The control of micronutrient deficiencies is an essential part of the overall effort to fight hunger and malnutrition.
• India has been implementing a variety of strategies to address anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies which include iron-folic acid supplementation, vitamin A supplementation, nutrition health education to encourage dietary diversity, and others. However, the anaemia levels continue to be high.
• This, therefore, requires the introduction of strategies such as food fortification which are evidence based, tried and tested in other parts of the world.

Rice Fortification

• Rice is a staple consumed regularly in the preparation of many common local dishes.
• Micronutrient deficiencies of public health significance are widespread in most countries consuming high levels of rice; thus rice fortification has the potential to help aid vulnerable populations.
• Rice kernels can be fortified with several micronutrients, such as iron, folic acid and other B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and zinc.
• Similarly, other vital micronutrients can be added to staples like wheat flour, oil, and milk.
• The reason behind choosing staple items is to reach a larger population.
• According to the FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice shall contain iron (28mg-42.5mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram) and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
• In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, at the level– zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3 and Vitamin B6 per Kg.

Recent Development

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had launched a centrally sponsored pilot scheme on “Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS)” for a period of three years beginning 2019-20 with a total budget outlay of Rs.174.64 crore.
• The pilot scheme focuses on 15 districts in 15 states.
• Under the scheme, the blending of rice is done at the milling stage.
• According to the Ministry, Maharashtra and Gujarat have started distribution of fortified rice under PDS in the Pilot Scheme from February, 2020.
• The Scheme is funded by the Government of India in the ratio of 90:10 in respect of North Eastern, hilly and island states and 75:25 in respect of the rest.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-pm-modis-announcement-on-fortified-rice-is-significant-7454623/

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