Food Fortification

Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A & D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing.

70% of people in India do not consume enough micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16:
- 58.4 percent of children (6-59 months) are anaemic
- 53.1 percent women in the reproductive age group are anaemic
- 35.7 percent of children under 5 are underweight
Thus, deficiency of micronutrients or micronutrient malnutrition, also known as “hidden hunger”, is a serious health risk.
Fortification method complements other ways to improve nutrition such as diversification of diet and supplementation of food.

Since the nutrients are added to staple foods that are widely consumed, this is an excellent method to improve the health of a large section of the population, all at once.
Fortification is a safe method of improving nutrition among people. The addition of micronutrients to food does not pose a health risk to people. The quantity added is so small and so well regulated as per prescribed standards that likelihood of an overdose of nutrients is unlikely.
It does not require any changes in food habits and patterns of people. It is a socio-culturally acceptable way to deliver nutrients to people.
It does not alter the characteristics of the food—the taste, the feel, the look.
It can be implemented quickly as well as show results in improvement of health in a relatively short period of time.
This method is cost-effective especially if advantage is taken of the existing technology and delivery platforms. The Copenhagen Consensus (a US non-profit think tank) estimates that every 1 Rupee spent on fortification results in 9 Rupees in benefits to the economy.

In October 2016, FSSAI operationalized the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016 for fortifying staples namely
- Wheat Flour and Rice with Iron, Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid,
- Milk and Edible Oil with Vitamins A and D and
- Double Fortified Salt with Iodine and Iron

The Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Child Development jointly organised a webinar on Rice Fortification recently.
The Prime Minister in his address on the 75th Independence Day (15th August, 2021) made an announcement that fortified rice will be provided through all Government of India schemes and public distribution system by 2024.
7 States have already started the distribution of fortified rice. Approx. 2.47 Lakh MT of fortified rice is distributed till August 2021 under the pilot scheme.

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