Lok Sabha Question No. 1088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Packaged Fortified Food for Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, ANANDRAO  ADSUL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1088

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## PACKAGED FORTIFIED FOOD FOR CHILDREN

1088.  SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  number  of  underweight  children  in  India  is  almost  double  the  number  in  SubSaharan Africa and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether food fortification has proved to be one of the most effective ways to supplement the nutrition needs of the population across the world and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  a  scientific  panel  has  been  set  up  on  'Food  Fortification  and  Nutrition',  a  strategy which showed remarkable result in the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Africa and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the experts have been cautioning against 'quick fix' of buying commercial products instead  of  focusing  on  sustainable  measures  such  as  care  and  support  for  mothers,  clean drinking water and food security to treat malnutrition;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government in this regard; and
- (f) the  action  taken  or  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  for  creating  awareness  about malnutrition and method to eradicate this problem?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a): As  per  the  UNICEF  report  entitled  'The  State  of  the  World's  Children'  2016,  19%  children under  5  years  were  underweight  in  Sub-Saharan  Africa  and  as  per  National  Family  Health Survey (NFHS) - 4 conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2015-16, 35.7% children under 5 years are underweight in India.
- (b): Food Fortification is one of the strategies to tackle micronutrient deficiencies among population along with other measures like dietary diversification, supplementation and bio-fortification.
- (c): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a Scientific Panel on 'Food Fortification and Nutrition' to lay science based standards for articles of food in the Indian context.
- (d) & (e):  The  Government  has  accorded  high  priority  to  the  issue  of  malnutrition  and  is implementing several schemes/programmes  of different Ministries/Departments through States/UTs  to  address  various  aspects  related  to  nutrition.  This  Ministry  is  implementing schemes like Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. Care and support for  mothers,  clean  drinking  water  and  food  security  are  some  of  the  components  to  treat malnutrition.
- (f): Government  has  set  up  POSHAN  Abhiyaan,  under  which  well-researched,  designed  and tested communication plan & IEC materials have been developed and intensive Mass Media Campaign  is  conducted  through  various  mass  media  channels  like  radio,  television,  social media,  etc.  Also,  during  the  home  visits  conducted  by  AWWs,  through  the  use  of  ICDSCommon  Application  Software  (ICDS-CAS),  the  beneficiaries  are  counselled  on  nutrition related  issues  like  breastfeeding,  complementary  feeding,  infant  and  young  child  care,  etc. ICDS-CAS  has  embedded  videos  related  to  Infant  and  Young  Child  care  and  nutrition  for educating the beneficiaries.

Food  and  Nutrition  Board  under  this  Ministry,  through  its  regional  field  units,  is conducting  training  programmes  in  nutrition  and  generating  awareness  through  nutrition education programmes on the importance of healthy balanced diets especially through the use of locally available foods, mass awareness campaigns and use of electronic and print media.

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