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Universal supply of fortified rice under the National Food Security Act was extended by the Union Cabinet to December 2028 for all central government programs that provide free food grain.
Rice fortification is the addition of micronutrients to rice after the harvest for the restoration of the micronutrients which have been lost during processing and to increase the level of vitamins and minerals by adding other vitamins and minerals like iron, folic acid, etc, which may not originally be present in rice.
It was the first document to advocate mandatory fortification of foodgrains and their inclusion in government programs like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), PM POSHAN, and Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme was launched with a ₹174.64 crore budget. By March 2022, 4.30 Lakh Metric Tonnes of fortified rice were distributed in 11 states.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the phased national rollout and supply of Fortified rice under targeted public distribution system (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) as Central Sector Initiative with 100% GoI funds up to 30th June 2024 with a proposed finance of Rs.4269.76 cr.
Phase I (2021-2022): Covered ICDS and PM POSHAN.
Phase II (2022-2023): Added TPDS and OWS (Other welfare Schemes) in 291 districts.
Phase III (2023-2024): Extended to remaining districts.
The distribution will follow the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
As of March 2024 100% coverage of the distribution of fortified rice was achieved in India, and custom-milled rice was replaced with fortified rice under all schemes of the government.
The rice fortification aims to “address anaemia and micro-nutrient deficiency” in India.
This initiative provides vulnerable populations with enhanced nutrition by distributing fortified rice enriched with essential micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12.
According to the World Health Organization, rice fortification can reduce the risk of iron deficiency by 35%.
India has very high levels of malnutrition among women and children. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), Malnourishment in children (stunting, wasting and underweight) under 5 years has reduced as per NHFS-5 (2019-21) from 38.4% to 35.5%, 21.0% to 19.3% and 35.8% to 32.1% respectively as compared to NHFS-4 (2015-16).
Malnutrition among women aged 15-49 years has also reduced from 22.9% to 18.7%. Despite the decrease, the numbers are very high.
According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anaemic, and every third child is stunted.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021 iron deficiency, and other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12 and folic acid, impact the overall health and productivity of the population.
Fortification of food is considered to be one of the most suitable methods to combat malnutrition as rice is one of India’s staple foods, which is consumed by about two-thirds of the population.
Per capita, rice consumption in India is 6.8 kg per month. Fortifying rice with micronutrients is an option to supplement the diet of the poor.
Various technologies, such as coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’, are available to add micronutrients to regular rice.
Extrusion technology involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture
using an ‘extruder’ machine. It is a widely used technology in India.
Identification mark
Fortified rice is packed in jute bags with the logo (‘+F’) and the line “Fortified with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12”.
According to FSSAI standards, 1 kg of fortified rice contains: Iron: 28 mg-42.5 mg, Folic acid: 75-125 micrograms, and Vitamin B12: 0.75-1.25 micrograms
The cost of rice fortification
The cost of rice fortification is around Rs 2,700 crore per annum which is less than 2% of India’s annual total food subsidy bill.
Important articles for reference
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
Sources:
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Consider the following statements about the “fortification of foodgrains” recently seen in the news:
How many of the above statements is/are correct? A.Only one B.Only two C. All Three D.None Answer: B Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: New India @75: It was the first document to advocate mandatory fortification of foodgrains and their inclusion in government programs like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), PM POSHAN, and Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). Statement 2 is correct: Fortification of food is considered to be one of the most suitable methods to combat malnutrition as rice is one of India’s staple foods, which is consumed by about two-thirds of the population. Per capita, rice consumption in India is 6.8 kg per month. Fortifying rice with micronutrients is an option to supplement the diet of the poor. Statement 3 is incorrect: According to FSSAI standards, 1 kg of fortified rice contains: Iron: 28 mg-42.5 mg, Folic acid: 75-125 micrograms, and Vitamin B12: 0.75-1.25 micrograms |
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