Context:
Union Food Ministry decided to complete the third phase of universalisation of distribution of fortified rice before March 2024. The Ministry also organised a one-day National Seminar on Rice Fortification.
About Food Fortification:
- What it is? – Deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food
- Purpose – To improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health.
- Regulated by – Food Safety Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulation, 2018.
- What is Fortified food?
- A food, as specified under the FSSAI Regulation, 2011 that has undergone the process of fortification as per the provisions of these regulations.
Fortification Standard Operating Procedure (SOP):
- Aim: To address malnutrition, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies.
- Blending of Milled rice with Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) should comply with Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
- Packaging of fortified food –
- Considering nature of the fortificant
- Effect on the shelf life of fortified food.
- Food fortified with Iron shall carry a warning statement for People with Thalassemia.
- Mandatory micronutrients to be fortified –
- Wheat flour and Rice – Iron, Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid
- Milk and Edible Oil – Vitamins A and D
- Double Fortified Salt – Iodine and Iron
About Rice Fortification:
- It is a process of adding micronutrients to rice.
- Fortification levels given under – Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018
- FRK and traditional rice ratio: 1:50 to 1:200
- Technologies to add micronutrients to regular rice –
- Dusting:
- Adds micronutrients onto the surface of the rice grains using electrostatic force.
- Limitation – Nutrients gets discarded when rice is washed, soaked or cooked in excess water.
- Coating and extrusion (2 step process):
- To produce fortified kernels
- Fortified kernels are blended with non-fortified rice at a ratio of 0.5% to 2%.
- Dusting:
In India, rice is fortified using extrusion technology in which milled rice is pulverized and mixed with a premix containing vitamins and minerals.
Related Article
Golden Rice:
- A new type of rice that contains beta carotene (pro-vitamin A).
- Pro-vitamin A –
- Plant pigment that the body converts into vitamin A as needed.
- Gives yellow-orange or golden color.
- Developed through genetic engineering.
- Developed by – International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
- 1st country to approve Golden Rice for commercial propagation – Philippines
Previous Year Question
Consider the following pairs:
Commonly used/consumed materials: Unwanted or controversial chemicals likely to be found in them
1. Lipstick — Lead
2. Soft Drinks — Brominated vegetable oils
3. Chinese fast food — Monosodium glutamate
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
