Cabinet approves distribution of fortified rice across Government Schemes

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on April 8 approved a scheme to distribute fortified rice under government programmes.

• The government approved the supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman-PM POSHAN [erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM)] and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) of Government of India in all States and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.

The following three phases are envisaged for full implementation of the initiative:

• Phase-I: Covering ICDS and PM POSHAN in India all over by March, 2022 which is under implementation.

• Phase-II: Phase I above plus TPDS and OWS in all Aspirational and High Burden Districts on stunting (total 291 districts) by March 2023.

• Phase-Ill: Phase II above plus covering the remaining districts of the country by March 2024.

Food Corporation of India and state agencies have already procured 88.65 LMT (lakh tonnes) of fortified rice for supply and distribution.

• In his Independence Day speech 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the fortification of rice distributed under various government schemes, including the public distribution system (PDS) and midday meals in schools, by 2024.

What is Fortified Rice?

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.

• Technologies available to add micronutrients to regular rice, are coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’.

• The extrusion technology involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture using an ‘extruder’ machine.

• This technology is considered to be the best technology for India.

• The fortified rice kernels are blended with regular rice to produce fortified rice. Dry rice flour is mixed with a premix of micronutrients, and water is added to this mixture. The mixture is passed through a twin-screw extruder with heating zones, which produces kernels similar in shape and size to rice.

• These kernels are dried, cooled, and packaged for use.

• FRK has a shelf life of at least 12 months.

• As per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the shape and size of the fortified rice kernel should “resemble the normal milled rice as closely as possible”.

• According to the guidelines, the length and breadth of the grain should be 5 mm and 2.2 mm respectively.

Guidelines

• Fortification of food is considered to be one of the most suitable methods to combat malnutrition. Rice is one of India’s staple foods, consumed by about two-thirds of the population.

• Under the Ministry’s guidelines, 10 g of FRK must be blended with 1 kg of regular rice.

• According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg of fortified rice will contain the following: iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram), and vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).

(Source: IE)

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