Government clarifies on concerns over fortified rice

Responding to the report ‘On the ground, concerns over fortified rice’, published in Business Standard on May 12, 2022, the Union government has given a clarification. Edited excerpts:

There are multiple government programmes to address malnutrition, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies. One such initiative is the introduction of voluntary/mandatory fortified staple foods, such as milk, oil, salt, wheat flour and rice. Fortification of staple foods, when appropriately implemented, can be an efficient, simple and relatively inexpensive strategy for supplying the required micronutrients/vitamins and minerals to large segments of the Indian population.

According to the National Family Health Survey, 2019-20, India has a high prevalence of anaemia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared anaemia among women and children a “severe” public health problem, demanding immediate attention.

Fortification is the process of increasing the content of essential micronutrients in food so as to improve its nutritional quality and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health. Food fortification is considered one of the top three priorities for developing countries, according to the Copenhagen Consensus Statement, 2008.

Fortified foods are not new to India, where consumption of iodised salt, also a type of fortified food, has led to a reduction of iodine deficiency disorders and diseases like goitre. Rice fortification is also a viable preventive and complementary intervention to solve the problem of anaemia in a short span.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement on August 15, 2021, to mandate rice fortification in all social safety net schemes by 2024. Dietary diversification and higher reliance on fruits and vegetables is another source of micronutrients but not always affordable to a large section of the population.

Many states are effectively implementing fortified rice distribution through the public distribution system since the launch of the centrally sponsored pilot scheme, without any major challenge. However, due to lack of awareness, fortified rice and its benefits are not always understood.

In the absence of evidence, claims regarding adverse effects of fortified rice consumption are premature and speculative.