What is fortified rice? Why did Centre extend its distribution in schemes?

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in April 2022, had decided to implement the rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024. All three planned phases have now been successfully completed, with the target of universal coverage achieved by March 2024, an official statement following the Cabinet announcement said.

What is rice fortification, and why is it needed?

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), country’s top food regulator, 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”.

India has very high levels of malnutrition among women and children.

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, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels. Besides iron deficiency, other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin B12 and folic acid, also persist, impacting the overall health and productivity of the population,” the aforementioned government statement said.

Fortification of food is considered to be one of the most suitable methods to combat malnutrition. 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.

What is the process by which rice is fortified?

Various technologies, such as coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’, are available to add micronutrients to regular rice. The last mentioned technology involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture using an ‘extruder’ machine. It is considered to be the best technology for India.

Dry rice flour is mixed with a premix of micronutrients, and water is added to this mixture, which is then passed through a twin-screw extruder with heating zones. Kernels similar in shape and size to rice are produced, which, as per Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution guidelines, must “resemble the normal milled rice as closely as possible”.

The kernels are dried, cooled, and packaged. FRK has a shelf life of at least 12 months. The kernels are blended with regular rice to produce fortified rice. 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).

Rice may also be fortified with zinc (10 mg-15 mg), vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), vitamin B-1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), vitamin B-2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), vitamin B-3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and vitamin B-6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.

How is fortified rice cooked and eaten?

It is no different from the way any rice is cooked and eaten. The rice needs to be cleaned and washed in the normal way before cooking. After cooking, fortified rice retains the same physical properties and micronutrient levels as it had before cooking.

Fortified rice is packed in jute bags with the logo (‘+F’) and the line “Fortified with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12”.

How has the fortification initiative fared so far?

In his Independence Day speech in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that rice distributed under various central government schemes like the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Mid-Day Meal Scheme in schools, would be fortified by 2024. In April 2022, the Centre cleared a phase-wise plan to implement the rice fortification initiative.

Phase 1 had already been implemented when the Centre’s plan was cleared. It saw two programmes — Integrated Child Development Services and PM POSHAN — covered by March 2022.

Phase 2 extended the supply of fortified rice to PDS and other welfare schemes in 112 Aspirational Districts in 27 states, and 291 high stunting burden districts by March 2023.

Phase 3 saw all remaining districts in the country get covered under the initiative by March 2024.

The cost of rice fortification is around Rs 2,700 crore per annum — less than 2% of India’s annual total food subsidy bill. Since the 2019-20 fiscal year through March 31, 2024, approximately 406 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of fortified rice have been distributed through the PDS, the government said in a statement issued in July this year.

As per officials, there are 925 fortified rice manufacturers in the country, with a capacity of 111 LMT per annum. FRK produced by these manufacturers are sent to India’s 21,000-odd rice mills for blending. Installed blenders in these mills have a monthly capacity to produce 223 LMT of fortified rice.

According to Vaishnaw, the Centre has invested Rs 11,000 crore for developing the fortified rice supply chain in India.