FOOD FORTIFICATION IN INDIA:

ENRICHING FOODS, ENRICHING LIVES

Presentation by:
Deepti Gulati, Senior Associate,
GAIN: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

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 Sixty-seven Years Ago ……..
When India became independent, we
faced two major problems, with grave Our Constitutional
nutritional impact: Obligation:
 threat of famine and low agricultural Access to good nutrition and
production and health is a fundamental
 lack of an appropriate food distribution human right and a
system cornerstone that defines
health of all
These were compounded by:
Article 47 of our Constitution
 low dietary intake because of poverty
reflects our commitment. It
and low purchasing power;
states:
 high prevalence of infections due to poor “The State shall regard the
access to safe water, sanitation & health raising of the level of
care; nutrition and the standard of
 poor utilization of available facilities due living of its people and the
to low literacy and lack of awareness improvement of public
RESULT: Population suffered from CED health as among its primary
and micronutrient malnutrition duties …….”
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 Lets See How Are We Faring Today……

Despite substantial strides in food

grain production,
 Malnutrition amongst children in
India is highest in the world
 India has 35 % of the world’s
malnourished children
 Nearly a third of the world’s
hungry reside in India
 About 26% 0f India’s population India is severely affected
- 268 million – are considered
food-insecure, consuming less
than 80% of minimum energy
requirements
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 Why Focus on Hunger and Malnutrition ?

Hunger and malnutrition stunt growth -

intellectually and physically, leading to:
Malnutrition Affects:
 premature death,
Health and Survival
 disability, life-long susceptibility to
illness, Educability
 poor cognitive and learning skills, Economic Productivity
 low achievement in school, Disability
 low productivity and low wages, and These are Irreversible
hence BUT Preventable !
 poverty
Micronutrient Malnutrition
Malnutrition starts early... Right from the Impacts:
Womb  Learning ability
 School performance and
Stagnating child and maternal malnutrition Retention rates
rates, including micronutrient malnutrition
 Speech & hearing defects
are at very high levels and their impact is
devastating…. This is unacceptable !! These are Permanent !
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 Nutrition and Health Indicators

Nutrition and Health Indicators India Madhya Rajasthan

Pradesh
IMR 53 70 63
MMR 254 335 388
< 5 mortality 74 94 86
Underweight (<3 yrs) in % 40 58 40
India’s (<3
Stunted
rd population being children and youth, is considered as its
1/3yrs) in % 45 47 23
Demographic
Wasted (<3 yrs) inDividend
% …. But with such 23high levels
40 of micronutrient
37
malnutrition that seriously impair the development of human capital, labour
Children anaemic (6-35 months) in % 79 83 79
productivity and future social and economic development …..
Ever-married women anaemic (15-49 yrs) % 56 58 54

This cannot
Ever-married be counted
men anaemic (15-49 yrs)as%our Demographic
24 25 Dividend
22
Children age 12-35 months who received 64 45 60
atleast 1 dose of vitamin A (%) CES -2009
Mothers who consumed IFA for 90 days or 22 12 13
more when they were pregnant with
their last child (%): NFHS – 3
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Micronutrient Malnutrition: 3 Options to Control
Supplementation Dietary Diversification Food Fortification

 Two high-doses of Vit A per  Food prices spiralling and  High consumption of Staples
year hence mostly cereals and  Great hope for long-term
 Iron syrup and capsules tubers. Low in vegetables, control of MND.
 A safe and efficient strategy fruits and lentils  Potential to reach all income
for eliminating VAD &  Non-anima sources comprise groups through basic food
Anaemia for improving child > 80% of intake. items with minimal changes
survival.  Implementation and Scaling in eating habits.
up difficult,

GOI programmes reach only Affordability of a diversified Only about 2% foods

about 55% of the children. diet is a big question available in the market are
Compliance is also an issue estimated to be fortified

Of these options, fortification is most efficient on account of comparatively lower

cost to implement & ability to yield significant results in a short period of time.
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Food Fortification: Benefits Outweigh Cost

Food Fortification / Enrichment: Addition of one or more essential nutrients

to food, for the purpose of preventing or correcting a demonstrated
deficiency of one or more nutrients at the population level / specific groups

Copenhagen
Consensus
US $347 million
investment in
vitamins and US $5 billion
minerals in savings from
avoided deaths,
improved earnings
and reduced
healthcare spending

Probably no other technology available today offers as large an

opportunity to improve lives & accelerate development at such low cost
& in such a short time* * (Source: Enriching Lives, The World Bank)

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Why Fortify Staples in Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh
Consumption Patterns of Food (day/capita)*

Food India Rajasthan MP

Wheat 160g 250g 215g
Edible oil 14g 20g 20g
Milk 82ml 200g 180g
Consumption of wheat, oil and milk in Rajasthan and
MP is higher than the national average
Diets are primarily cereal based and wheat comprises
70-90% of the total cereal consumption
Hence, these are good vehicles for fortification as
micronutrients can reach all population groups when
these fortified foods are consumed
* Source: Household Consumer NSS Report 2011 on Expenditure in India, 2009-10, 66th Round
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How We Started
 Brought together stakeholders including the Industry partners through
informal and formal discussions
 Discussed nutrition and health issues and highlighted their role in
malnutrition reduction
 Many food processors got encouraged and wanted to start fortification
 Undertook Industry assessment to understand the need for capacity
enhancement: infrastructure, manpower, QAQC
 Managed fears / apprehensions / eliminated myths of Industry and
consumers through active scientific, social and media engagements
 Strengthened systems for external regulatory monitoring
 Got the Chief / Senior Ministers of the States to launch fortified foods
 Organized many Media Workshops and Community Events to create
awareness and demand through print, electronic and social media
 Launched a high-pitched social marketing campaign and promoted logos

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 Large-scale food fortification projects in
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
Project Logical Framework
Input Process Output Outcomes Impact
1. Equipment 1. Partnership 1. Availability 1. Improved Reduction in
2. Premix 2. Production, 2. Acceptability anaemia & anaemia &
3. Financial 3. Advocacy 3. Accessibility vitamin A vitamin A status
support 4. Marketing 4. Affordability status in the population
4. Technical 5. M&E 5. Awareness & 2. Increased and the
support 6. Training consumption wheat flour attendant health
5. Policy 7. QAQC of fortified fortification benefits
advocacy foods by industry

Production & Distribution • Equipment and Premix on sliding subsidy

• Technical support & capacity building
Legislation & Quality • Quality Assurance & Control protocols
Control • Advocacy for supportive legislation
Project Social Marketing & • Develop communication strategy and its Roll out
components Communication Stakeholder alliance and consultation
• Process monitoring and reporting
Monitoring & Evaluation • Using data for course correction
• Project implementation
Project Management • Dissemination of results to scale up
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Launch of Fortified Foods

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Policy Advocacy Leading to Regulatory
Support for Fortification

Current regulation and supportive environment:

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) permits
fortification of foods

 National Nutrition Mission highlights the need to focus on

micronutrient fortification.

 India’s 10th, 11th and 12th Five Year Plans recommend food fortification
as important strategy to tackle micronutrient malnutrition

 Ministry of Food Processing Industry, GOI, provides financial

assistance to the Food Industry for capital equipment and its
installation for undertaking fortification, and value addition

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How Micronutrients Impact Our Quality of Life

Better School Achievement

Improved Improves Immunity
Vitamin and Increased Productivity & incomes
Decreases Anemia
Mineral Decreased Mortality
Status Improves Cognitive
Skills & education Improved Quality of Life

As policy makers, public health and nutrition professionals,

economists and business representatives, we cannot stand by while
micronutrient deficiencies cause enormous loss of life and impose
chronic disabilities of mind and body on future generations in India

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 Foods and Channels Used for Fortification

Integrated Fortification Project

Fortification of Foods Provided Mass Fortification of

Under Foods Through
Public Funded Programs Commercial Channels

Fortified Foods
through Open market
ICDS Midday Meal
programme PDS Wheat flour
Children 3-6 yrs: Rice
Fortified wheat Fortified wheat Fortified wheat
flour/fortified rice/ Milk
flour/fortified rice/ flour in place of/
fortified soyadal fortified soyadal conjunction with Oil
analogue, iodized analogue, iodized grains, iodized
salt and fortified oil salt and fortified oil salt & fortified oil Salt
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 Achievements: Projects have good will, support and recognition from
Industry, State Govt. Counterparts and the Polity
Avg. Reach Samples
External
Vehicle Production (people in tested
pass rate
(MT)/ Year millions) (monthly)
Fortified Wheat Flour in
90,000 1.5 33 85%
Rajasthan (direct support)
Fortified Wheat Flour in Not Not
840,000 9.8
Rajasthan (Leverage) available available
Fortified Oil in Rajasthan 246,000 38.5 12 100%

Fortified Milk in Rajasthan 528,000 7.35 66 100%

Soyadal analogue for lentil

76.8 1.1 12 100%
fortification in Rajasthan
Fortified Wheat Flour in MP
222,000 3.5 24 87%
(direct support)
Fortified Wheat Flour in MP Not Not
816,000 12.6
(Leverage in other states) available available
Fortified Oil in MP (direct
240,000 35 6 100%
support) 14
Our Challenges

Nutrition and Food Fortification are not sufficiently prioritized in India

and resources for nutrition improvement are not optimised

Lack of effective overall consensus and coordination between

sectors at national level on how to move forward for improving
nutrition and health

Insufficient motivation and capacities at national and decentralized

level to design, implement and monitor interventions

Mainstreaming fortified wheat flour in the Public funded programs

like Public Distribution System, ICDS and MDM: Conversion of
grains to fortified wheat has huge financial implications and limited
shelf-life of fortified wheat flour is an impediment. Requires a political
decision

Food Processors desire fortification to be made mandatory to give

them a level playing field

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Lessons Learnt and Way Forward…..
1. Staple Food Fortification is do-able and very cost-effective
2. Food fortification does not lead to organoleptic changes and hence
widely acceptable
3. Processing is simple and does not require expensive equipment.
Food industry can thus do it at very low investment
4. Industry is responsible and ensures appropriate fortification and
Staple
takesFood Fortification
pride in isnutritional
contributing to an evidence based strategy and
improvement
a practical solution which needs to be scaled up in India ….
WAY FORWARD
What we need
Strengthen is a strong
regulatory politicaltowill
monitoring andthe
ensure policy support
quality and
safety of fortified foods
 Make it mandatory to fortify oil and milk with vitamin A and D
 Promote a national logo to indicate that the food is fortified…. It
could be a yellow star and promoted as we promote red / green
dots for vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods
 Create awareness about the goodness of fortified foods.
 Nutrition is a cross-cutting issue and coordinated efforts of many
sectors are required ….. We need to join hands and not work at
cross-purpose
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Let us not shy away from our collective responsibility of
providing good health and improved quality of life to all !
Lets Eat Right … Lets Eat Fortified
Thank you !!
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