Food fortification will help tackle India’s hidden hunger

Budget constraints limit access to nutrient-rich foods for many families, who are unaware or unable to afford a nutritious diet, said a World Bank expert

GN Bureau | October 27, 2017


#Food   #Nutrition   #Right to Food   #World Bank   #Hunger  


Micronutrient deficiencies, especially Vitamin A and D, are prevalent in India, said a World Bank expert who noted that these deficiencies -- often referred to as ‘hidden hunger’ -- go largely unnoticed and affect large populations.

In a blog “Tackling India’s hidden hunger”, senior agriculture economist Edward W. Bresnyan wrote that night blindness, a condition afflicting millions of pregnant women and children, stems from low intake of foods rich in essential nutrients like Vitamin A.

“Budget constraints limit access to nutrient-rich foods for many families, who are unaware or unable to afford a nutritious diet,” he said and added that national programs help supplement diets with Iron and Vitamin, but their scope is too narrow to adequately address these deficiencies.

Read: For a more nutritious India

The blog said that when fortified with vitamin A and D, milk, which remains a staple for many Indians, can help alleviate dietary deficiencies when supplementation is not available.

“Food fortification is a relatively simple, powerful and cost-effective approach to curb micronutrient deficiencies. It is in general socially accepted and requires minimal change in existing food habits.

“The process is inexpensive and costs about 2 paisa per liter or about one-tenth of a cent.  And because it only adds a fraction of daily recommended nutrients, the process is considered safe. For these reasons, food fortification has been successfully scaled up in some emerging economies.”

Bresnyan said that except for salt fortification with iodine, India has not yet achieved large-scale food fortification.

With India’s rapidly growing dairy industry, large-scale milk fortification of Vitamins A and D is a robust vehicle for increasing micronutrients intake across the population.

The South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (SAFANSI) is piloting a large-scale milk fortification project to help Indian families better access micronutrient-rich foods. India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will coordinate implementation and produce guidelines and training to fortify milk.

The project aims to fortify 2 million metric tons (MTs) of milk, reaching more than 30 million people.

Comments

 

Other News

Domestic airlines show 38.27% growth in passenger numbers

The domestic aviation industry has witnessed a remarkable surge in passenger traffic during the first eight months of 2023. According to the latest data analysis, the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines from January to August 2023 reached an impressive 1190.62 lakhs, marking a substantial inc

MPs bid adieu to historic parliament building, step into new building

A function was organised in the Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday to commemorate the rich legacy of the Parliament of India as the Members came together to bid adieu to the historical building before stepping into the New Building of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha sp

Real action, not words alone, needed to achieve UN agenda 2030: civil society

As politicians and policymakers make speeches at the United Nations during a high-level summit next week to assess the lack of progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), people’s leaders representing some of the world’s most marginalised communities have come toge

Fourth GPFI G20 meeting pledges to work for universal financial inclusion

The fourth G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) meeting held in Mumbai during September 14-16 concluded with members agreeing to work towards the vision of universal financial inclusion under the new G20 Financial Inclusion Action Plan. Over the course of three days, discuss

Tales of Mother Nature, tales of ruin and of rejuvenation

Marginlands: Indian Landscape on the Brink By Arati Kumari-Rao Picador India, 256 pages, Rs 699 This monsoon, Him

TRAI releases paper on `Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies`

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday released a Consultation Paper (CP) on `Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies`, aiming to explore and address the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid advancement of emerging technologies, with a focus on ensuring in

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter