Ans:“Fortification” means 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; Fortification is a scientifically proven, cost-effective, scalable and sustainable global intervention that addresses the issue of micronutrient deficiencies.
Ans: World Health Organization (WHO) classifies food fortification into:
Ans: One of the most effective, scalable, affordable, and sustainable ways to address micronutrient deficiencies is fortification of staple foods. It complements diet diversification to help complete a person's daily nutritional needs. It fills the gap in nutrition in an easy manner without any change in taste, texture, or flavour of food, minimizing the requirement of behavioural change. While dietary diversification represents an ideal method to combat micronutrient deficiencies, it takes long to create impact and necessitates extensive consumer education. Additionally, it may not be economically viable for all individuals. In contrast, food fortification serves as a complementary strategy to dietary diversification and supplementation, effectively bridging the gap in nutritional requirements in a cost-effective and scalable manner.
Ans: Contrary to misconceptions, fortifying foods does not render them unhealthy or unnatural; rather, it enhances their nutritional value, leading to improved health outcomes. Food fortification entails the addition of essential vitamins and minerals to improve the nutritional profile of the food, addressing deficiencies and strengthening public health efforts. This practice has been embraced for decades across more than 100 countries. Fortification with Page 2 of 3 Iron, Folic acid and Vitamin B12 has been linked to a reduction in anaemia, maintenance of a healthy nervous system and support blood formation.
Ans: In India, a significant portion of the population, spanning all age groups, faces a challenge with the deficiency of vital micronutrients like Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. The nationwide data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) survey conducted in India, in 2019-21, showed prevalence of anaemia as 67%, 57% and 52 % among children (aged 6-59 months), women in the reproductive age group and pregnant women, respectively. This underscores the critical need for fortified foods to enhance the intake of essential nutrients such as Iron, Folate, Vitamin B12, Iodine etc. Many individuals, particularly those in resource-limited settings, struggle to access a diverse range of foods, which exacerbates the problem. Leveraging Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) can effectively reach the most vulnerable populations, addressing the nutrient gap and thwarting deficiencies.
Ans: Various staple foods are fortified on a global scale, encompassing wheat flour, maize flour, rice, edible oils, salt, milk and condiments. The particular fortification practices adopted may vary from country to country, based on factors such as dietary habits, prevalent nutrient deficiencies, and public health objectives. In 2018, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified standards for fortifying five key staples in India, namely wheat flour, rice, milk, oil and salt, with essential micronutrients such as Iron and others.
Ans: As multiple foods are being fortified, the level of use of nutrients for fortification is kept in the range of 30-50% of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for adults as prescribed by ICMR-NIN (National Institute of Nutrition). This is to keep the nutrient intake within the limits of RDA and to avoid over-dosage of micronutrients.