Lok Sabha Question No. 2967 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Eat Right India Programme
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2967 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH MARCH, 2021

## EAT RIGHT INDIA PROG RAMME

## 2967. SHRI B.B.PATIL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the salient features of Eat Right India programme;
- (b) the manner in which this programme helps to reduce country's disease burden;
- (c) whether the disease burden is passing from communicable to non - communicable disease and thediet - related  diseases  such  as  diabetes,  hypertension, and  obesity  are  rising  rapidly  in  the country; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the remedial action taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b): Under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Food Safety and Standards Authority o India  (FSSAI)  is  mandated  to  ensure  safe  and  wholesome  food  to  the  people.  FSSAI  h launched Eat Right India moveme nt on 10 th July, 2018 with the aim to provide people safe and healthy  food  through  sustainable  food  systems.    This  movement  is  a  collective  effort stakeholders in the food system -the government, food businesses, civil society organisations experts and profe ssionals and consumers. It encompasses various initiatives, both regulatory empowerment  approaches,  targeted  at  food  businesses  and  consumers.  Tagline  'Sahi  Bhojan, Behtar Jeevan' forms the foundation of this movement. Eat Right India has following key actions namely;
- (i) formulate new regulations to promote healthy eating;
- (ii) train  and  build  capacity  of  various  stakeholders  in  the  food  ecosystem  such  as handlers, administrators, frontline health workers etc.;
- (iii) certify various food businesses from clusters of street food vendors to restaurants, school and campuses based on benchmarks for food safety and hygiene;
- (iv) nudge food businesses to reformulate packaged foods into healthier options and to safe and sustainable packaging materials;
- (v) ignite lar ge scale social and behavioural change among the people of India towards sa healthy and sustainable eating habits.

(c):    Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  has  informed  that  the  India  State -Level Disease Burden Initiative 1 as a part of the Glob al Burden of Disease study, 2016 reported that the per  capita  disease  burden  measured  as  disability - adjusted  life -years  (DALY)  rate  dropped substantially for most communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNN between 1990 and 2016 acr oss all epidemiological transition level (ETL) groups, but rates reduction  for  CMNNDs  were  slowest  in  the  low  ETL  state  group.  By  contrast,  numbers  o DALYs  increased  substantially  for  Non  Communicable  Diseases  (NCDs)  in  all  ETL  state groups. The all -age prevalence of most leading NCDs increased substantially in India from 19 to 2016, and a modest decrease was recorded in the age - standardised NCD DALY rates. The major risk factors for NCDs, including high systolic blood pressure, high fasting plasma ucose, high total cholesterol, and high body - mass index, increased from 1990 to 2016, with generally higher levels in higher ETL states; ambient air pollution also increased and was highes low ETL group.

(d): Health is a state subject, the central Government supplements efforts of State Government through  technical  and  financial  supports.  In  order  to  combat  the  major  Non  Communica Disease (NCDs) including cancer, Government of India is implementing National Programme for Prevention and Control o f Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) for  interventions  upto  district  level  under  the  National  Health  Mission(NHM),  with  foc strengthening  infrastructure,  human  resource  development,  health  promotion  &  awarene generation,  e arly  diagnosis,  management  and  referral  to  an  appropriate  level  institutio treatment and follow up to non - communicable diseases (NCD). To tackle the challenge of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD), 637 NCD Clinics at District level and 4460 NCD Clinics a t Community Health Centre level have been set up under NPCDCS. Treatment for NCDs is also available at other health facilities run by the Central and State Governments.

With Ayushman Bharat, India has launched health care services in a holistic manne include preventive and promotive health care. A population level initiative of prevention and screening for common NCDs (diabetes, hypertension and common cancers viz. Oral, brea and cervical cancer) has also been rolled out, as a part of compre hensive primary health care. Under  this  initiative,  frontline  health  workers  such  as  Accredited  Social  Health  A (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), inter alia, are leveraged to carry out screen as well as to generate awareness about the r isk factors of NCDs among the masses. The initiative is under implementation across the country. Screening for common NCDs is also an integral of service delivery under Ayushman Bharat -Health and Wellness Centres.

Further, some of the steps taken by FSSAI to promote healthy diet and, thereby, help reduce diet related diseases include notification of following regulations:

- i. Standards  for  fortification  of  5  key  staples  viz.  Wheat  flour  and  Rice  (with Vitamin  B12  and  Folic  acid),  Oil  &  Milk  (with Vitamins  A  and  D)  and  Double fortified  Salt  (with  Iodine  and  Iron)  as  well  as  fortification  of  processed address issue of micronutrient deficiency and diseases caused by it.
- ii. Limiting Trans fatty acids to not more than 3% by weight in Oils and Fat s from 1st January, 2021 and to not more than 2% by weight by 1st January, 2022. Also, t limit of 2% by mass of total oil/fats present in all the food products in whic oils and fats are used as ingredient has been notified to be effective from 1 st January 2022.
- iii. Limiting Total Polar compound to be a maximum of 25% in used cooking oil and 15% in fresh and unused cooking oil.
- iv. Safe food and balanced diet regulations for promoting safe food and healthy diet school children.  Foods which are referred to as food products high in saturated fat o trans - fat or added sugar or sodium (HFSS) cannot be sold to school children in sch canteens/mess  premises/hostel  kitchens  or  in  an  area  within  fifty  meters  from school  gate  in  any  direction.  Mark eting/advertising  of  such  products  is  also prohibited.
- v. Standards  on  health  supplements,  nutraceuticals,  prebiotics  and  probiotic  pro which fall in category of functional foods. Functional foods provide benefits b basic nutrition and play a role i n reduc ng or minimizing risk of certain diseases and health conditions.
- vi. Revised Labelling and Display Regulations with new provisions on food allergen nutritional  information  (menu  labelling)  for  specified  restaurants  and  food  s establishments et c to enable consumer to make an informed choice.