Lok Sabha Question No. 817 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-07
Subject: Rice Fortification Programme in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## INISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.817 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7TH FEBRUARY, 2024

## RICE FORTIFICATION PROGRAMME IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 817. SHRI LAVU SRI KRISHNA DEVARAYALU:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER  AFFAIRS, FOOD  AND PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION aqqttm qm8, vm  dk WT8tfqq f+twr THt be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of various districts covered under the rice fortification
- programme in Andhra Pradesh;
- (b) the details of rice kernels distributed to people in Andhra Pradesh, district-wise;
- (c) whether the  Government is  aware of  the Supreme Court's warning against distributing  ironfortified  rice to thalassemia and sickle  cell  disease
- patients and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of the corrective measures taken by the Government, if any, to  ensure that  the  distribution is  well  monitored and if  not, the
- reasons therefor;  and
- (e) whether the Government has taken any measures to educate people
- on the adverse effects of its consumption and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a):  All  26  districts  of  Andhra Pradesh have been covered under Rice Fortification Initiative.
- (b): Rice Fortification is  the  process of  adding Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK)  containing Food  Safety and  Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)'s prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) to normal rice/Custom Milled Rice (CMR) in a ratio of l:IOO (Mixing 1 Kg of FRK with 100 Kg CMR). A total  of  approximately 12.82 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) of fortified rice has been distributed in  Andhra Pradesh under Public Distribution  System.  District wise  distribution of  fortified rice  is  enclosed at Annexure-l.

(c) & (d): No such warning  has been issued by Supreme Court of India.

(e):  On the intervention of Government of India, various States organized workshop/seminars in their  respective districts  to  educate  people. Nine such workshops were organized in the distriets  having tribal  population to generate proper awareness about rice fortification  with  the participation of Department of  Food and  Public  Distribution  (DFPD), Food Corporation of India(FC:1) and  other  stakeholders such  as  Field  Experts, Medical Professionals, members of  Media, prominent personalities, local  leaders and Development Partners.

Government of India circulated the FSSAI Gazette notification dated 27th August 2021 titled  Food Safety and Standards (Fortification  of  Foods) First Amendment Regulations, 2021 containing the information that ' Every package of food, fortified  with  Iron shall  carry a statement  -People with Thalassemia may take  under medical supervision and person with  Sickle Cell Anaemia are advised not  to  consume iron fortified food products' among all  States/UTs for bringing it to the notice of all concerned and ensure strict  compliance.  States and UTs were also requested to display it at the Fair Price Shops appropriately  along with  the posters/banners about fortified rice.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also issued advisory to Commissioners of Food Safety of all  States/UTs to  run speeial campaigns among the beneficiaries  of Public Distribution  System (PDS) to create awareness about fortified  rice.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO  IN  REPLY TO  PART (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 817 FOR ANNSWER ON 07.02.2024

| Statement showing the distribution of Fortified Rice to the NFSA beneficiaries from January,2023 to January,2024   | Statement showing the distribution of Fortified Rice to the NFSA beneficiaries from January,2023 to January,2024   | Statement showing the distribution of Fortified Rice to the NFSA beneficiaries from January,2023 to January,2024   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| u                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                    | a n t : : : :i::i b u t e d                                                                                        |
|                                                                                                                    | Alluri Sitharama Raju                                                                                              | 701 84                                                                                                             |
|                                                                                                                    | Anakapalli                                                                                                         | 43757                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                    | Ananthapur                                                                                                         | 1 261 46                                                                                                           |
|                                                                                                                    | Annamayya                                                                                                          | 431 20                                                                                                             |
|                                                                                                                    | Bapatla                                                                                                            | 1 6594                                                                                                             |
| 6                                                                                                                  | Chittoor                                                                                                           | 631 59                                                                                                             |
| 7                                                                                                                  | East Godavari                                                                                                      | 1 4634                                                                                                             |
| 8                                                                                                                  | Eluru                                                                                                              | 25030                                                                                                              |
| 9                                                                                                                  | Guntur                                                                                                             | 22761                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                    | YSR Kadapa                                                                                                         | 1 07895                                                                                                            |
|                                                                                                                    | Kakinada                                                                                                           | 1 6570                                                                                                             |
| 12                                                                                                                 | Dr. B.R. Arnbedkar Konaseerna                                                                                      | 1 6083                                                                                                             |
| 13                                                                                                                 | Krishna                                                                                                            | 1 8361                                                                                                             |
| 14                                                                                                                 | Kurnool                                                                                                            | 1 28429                                                                                                            |
| 15                                                                                                                 | Manyam Parvathipuram                                                                                               | 61 882                                                                                                             |
|                                                                                                                    | Nandyal                                                                                                            | 431 IO                                                                                                             |
|                                                                                                                    | SPSR Nellore                                                                                                       | 35904                                                                                                              |
| 18                                                                                                                 | NTR                                                                                                                | 23093                                                                                                              |
| 19                                                                                                                 | Palnadu                                                                                                            | 1 8737                                                                                                             |
| 20                                                                                                                 | Prakasam                                                                                                           | 70872                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                    | Tirupathi                                                                                                          | 52818                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                    | Sri Satya Sai                                                                                                      | 57637                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                    | Srikakulam                                                                                                         | 47487                                                                                                              |
|                                                                                                                    | Visakhapatnam                                                                                                      | 3461 1                                                                                                             |
|                                                                                                                    | Vizianagaram                                                                                                       | 1 06084                                                                                                            |
| 26                                                                                                                 | West Godavari                                                                                                      | 1 6995                                                                                                             |
| Total                                                                                                              | Total                                                                                                              | 1 281 952                                                                                                          |

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