Lok Sabha Question No. 4546 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Education and Health-Universal Access and Quality
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Vincent H Pala

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4546 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH MARCH, 2020

## EDUCATION AND HEALTH - UNIVERSAL ACCESS AND QUALITY

## 4546. SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

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

(a) whether the Group of Secretaries on 'Education and Health -Universal Access and Quality' has laid down guidelines to address the issue of micronutrient malnutrition through identifie d fortification of food;

- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the timeline for implementation of measures suggested by the Group of Secretaries; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

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

(a) to (c): The Group of Secretaries on 'Education & Health -Universal Access and Quality', inter - alia, identified fortification of staple food like rice, wheat, edible oil and mil folic  acid  and  Vitam in - A  as  one  of  the  measures  to  address  the  issue  of  micro - nutrient malnutrition in the country. A Task Force constituted for recommending actions/legislat food fortification recommended that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FS should bring out a comprehensive regulation/legislation under Food Safety and Standard 2006 and Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011 to ensure effective and sustainable fortif which should be inclusive of standards and other related provisions fo r fortified wheat flour, rice, oil, milk and Double Fortified Salt and other fortified products which would subs other existing regulations for these items.

Accordingly,  FSSAI  has  notified  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Fortification  of  Foo Regulat ion dated 2 nd August, 2018 on fortification of food in key staples like Oil and Milk ( Vitamin A and D), Wheat Flour and Rice (with Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B 12); and Doub Fortified Salt (with Iodine and Iron). +F Logo has been released for iden tification of fortified products. Further, as a follow up, various advisories for premix suppliers, endorsement logo,  and  Scientific  Health  Claims  for  label  declaration  of  fortified  foods  approved Scientific Panel on Nutrition and Fortificatio n have also been released.

As  per  information  available  with  FSSAI,  various  nodal  Ministries/Departments  ha taken action to introduce fortified food in  food safety net programmes:

- The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  &  Ministry  of  Human  Resourc e Development  (Department  of  Education  and  Literacy)  have  issued  advisories  t States/UTs  for  mandatory  use  of  fortified  wheat  flour,  fortified  edible  oil  and fortified  salt  in  Integrated  Child  Development  Scheme  (ICDS)  and  Mid  Day  Meal (MDM) vide l etters dated 10 th July, 2018 and 2 nd August, 2017, respectively.
- The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  has  issued  advisory  dated  28 th February, 2019 for including fortified rice, in addition to use of fortified whe fortified edible oil and double fortified salt also under ICDS and SABLA.
- The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has issued circular d 22 nd December,  2016  asking  States  which  are  distributing  wheat  flour  to  use  on fortified atta for distribution under Public Distribution Scheme (PDS).
- The Department of Food and Public Distribution has issued an advisory on 1 st October, 2018  urging  States /UTs  to  provide  wide  publicity  to  the  beneficial  aspects  o consumption of fortified edible oils to tackle the problem of malnutrition in an e way.
- Administrative  approval  has  been  given  for  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Pilot  Scheme 'fortification  of  Rice  and  its  Distribution  under  the  Public  Distribution  System'  for  a period of three years beginning 2019 - 20.
- The National  Council on India's Nutrition challenges at  its 1 st meeting  held on 18 th April,  2018,  inter -alia,  directed  that  in  order  to  address  the  persistent  high  leve anaemia  and  Vitamin - D  deficiency  in  the  country  the  fortification  of  staple  fo commodities may be taken up immediately u nder Anganwadi Services Scheme and Mid Day Meal (MDM) and wherever feasible.
- NITI Aayog has asked all States/UTs to scale up or initiate food fortification.

As on date, in the Government Safety net programmes, 19 States and 5 UTs have tak up fortif ication in their chosen commodities under the programmes.

Further,  voluntary  fortification  has  also  begun  and  a  number  of  fortified  produc available in the market. As on date, 114 top & Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME companies have introd uced 157 fortified brands.