Food Fortification in India

2021 AUG 10

Mains   > Social justice   >   Health   >   Poverty allieviation

IN NEWS:

  • A group of scientists and activists have written to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) against the Centre’s plan to mandatorily fortify rice and edible oils with vitamins and minerals.

FOOD FORTIFICATION:

  • Food fortification is defined as the practice of adding vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods to increase their nutritional value.
  • Food fortification can be categorized according to the stage of addition:
    • Commercial/industrial fortification
    • Biofortification: breeding crops to increase their nutritional value, through conventional selective breeding and genetic engineering.
    • Home fortification (Eg: Adding vitamin D drops)
  • In India, food fortification began in the 1950s with vegetable oil fortification and salt iodization. In the 2000s, the government introduced fortification of other commodities such as rice and wheat.
  • In 2016, FSSAI established standards for fortification of rice, wheat flour, edible oil, double fortified salt (DFS), and milk.
  • The ‘+F’ logo has been notified to identify fortified foods.
  • In January, 2021, the FSSAI had issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with vitamin A and D.

Examples:

  • Iodised salt: Salt that contains small amounts of sodium iodide or potassium iodide; used for boosting thyroid function.
  • DRR Dhan 45: High zinc variety of rice, developed by the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIIR).
  • MACS 4028: biofortified, high protein wheat variety developed by Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune.
  • Madhuban Gajar: Biofortified carrot developed by Vallabhhai Vasrambhai Marvaniya, a farmer scientist from Junagadh district, Gujarat.

SIGNIFICANCE OF FORTIFICATION:

  • Reduce ‘hidden hunger’:
    • In India, over 80% adolescents suffer from hidden hunger, according to UNICEF’s 2019 report. Fortification can help reduce this deficiency and promote nutritional security in the country.
  • Address nutritional imbalance:
    • According to NFHS 4, over 70% of the population consumes less than half the daily recommended dietary allowance of micronutrients a day. One key reason for this is the monotonous cereal-based diets with low consumption of vegetables and protein.
  • Enhance maternal & child health:  
    • India is home to one in three of the world’s malnourished children and has the second highest level of wasting among children globally. Women in India also have the highest prevalence of anemia globally. This contributes to high levels of maternal and infant mortality in India. Fortification can address this issue.
  • Cost-Effective intervention:
    • Fortification adds only 3-7% to the retail price of food. Hence, for the end consumers, the affordability of fortified foods is not a significant barrier.
    • Eg: Rice can be easily fortified by adding a micronutrient powder to the rice or spraying of the surface of ordinary rice grains in several layers with a vitamin and mineral mix to form a protective coating.
  • No behavioral change is needed:
    • Fortification can make frequently consumed foods or daily staples more nutritious without any change in the dietary habits of the consumers.
  • Overcome Covid-induced poverty:
    • Due to Covid-19, the nutritional status of people are likely to worsen as both the availability of food and the ability to pay for it become more sporadic. Supplying fortified staple foods can help address this issue to an extent.
  • Natural or near natural ingredients:
    • Fortification generally aims to supply micronutrients in amounts that approximate to those provided by a good, well-balanced diet. Hence, fortified staple foods will contain natural or near natural levels of micronutrients.

CONCERNS:

  • Not a substitute to good nutrition:
    • Adding a few micronutrients is only a short-term solution to the larger issue of malnutrition. Dietary diversity and higher protein consumption are key to solving undernutrition in India.
  • Unreliable studies:
    • Many of the studies which FSSAI relies on to promote fortification are sponsored by food companies who would benefit from it, leading to conflicts of interest.
  • Possibility of toxicity:
    • Nutrients usually do not work in isolation, but need each other for optimal absorption. Adding one or two vitamins and minerals (like synthetic nutrients) will not solve the larger problem, and in an undernourished population like India’s, it may lead to toxicity.
  • Accessibility for poor:
    • Poorest segments of the general population have restricted access to fortified foods in the open markets due to low purchasing power and an underdeveloped distribution channel.
  • Affects food MSMEs:
    • Mandatory fortification would harm the vast informal economy of Indian farmers and food processors including local oil and rice mills. This is because they will have to spend on machinery necessary for food fortification, such as blending machinery.
  • Issue in production and distribution:
    • While the oil and salt industries are relatively consolidated with large players accounting for 40-90% of production, cereal industries are characterized by a vast number of small-scale informal producers. This makes dissemination, coordination, and capacity building very challenging.
  • Fear of cartelization:
    • Just five corporations have derived most of the benefits of global fortification trends and these companies have historically engaged in cartelising behaviour leading to price hikes. This can happen in India as well.

WAY FORWARD:

  • Improve public perception:
    • Large scale food fortification (LSFF) is a powerful way to tackle micronutrient malnutrition. But the common man needs to be brough on-board for the efforts to be successful. Hence, awareness measures are essential.   
  • Independent research:
    • The FSSAI should take initiatives to generate unbiased independent research supporting fortification before major national policies are rolled out.
  • Utilise Public distribution system:
    • PDS has a nation-wide coverage and is the primary source of subsidized food for millions. Providing fortified food through PDS can address the concerns regarding accessibility and affordability.
  • Support for MSMEs:
    • Government needs to ensure that MSMEs are supported with subsidized loans and facilities for upgrading to food fortification. FSSAI should ensure that there is no cartelization in fortified food market.  
  • Promote dietary diversity:
    • Dietary diversity is the healthier and more sustainable way to fight malnutrition. For this, existing measures like the public distribution system and mid-day meal scheme in India should provide diverse food choices such as nutri-cereals.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Critically examine the role of food fortification in addressing the issue of malnutrition in India?