The authorities will implement fully rice fortification programme before the scheduled target of March 2024, a prime meals ministry official mentioned on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day tackle in 2021, mentioned the federal government goals to distribute fortified rice through the federal government schemes by 2024.
Thereafter, a scheme for the distribution of fortified rice, containing prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) was launched in October 2021 in a phased method so as to tackle the issue of anaemia in youngsters and ladies.
In April 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) accredited the provision of fortified rice all through the Public Distribution System (PDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman-PM POSHAN (erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme) and different welfare schemes in all states and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased method.
The whole price of rice fortification, which is round Rs 2,700 crore each year, could be borne by the Centre as a part of the meals subsidy until its full implementation up to June 2024. “We had planned to complete the universalisation of fortified PDS rice by March 2024. But, with the pace of distribution, we are hopeful of reaching the target before that and the entire PDS (rice) will be fortified …in the next few months,” Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra instructed reporters right here.
As of date, he mentioned the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has 240 lakh tonnes of rice, of which simply 12 lakh tonnes is non-fortified rice. Chopra additionally asserted that fortified rice is protected for folks with sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia. He defined that by way of PDS fortified rice solely 7 mg per day of iron will likely be consumed whereas the human physique can take 40-45 mg per day of iron.
The secretary mentioned the federal government may even have a look at revising the advisory on fortified rice being dangerous to folks with sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia in gentle of recent proof. Globally, Chopra mentioned, 90 international locations are utilizing fortification of meals objects. The Department of Food and Public Distribution organised a one-day National Seminar on Rice Fortification right here.
While addressing the seminar, Chopra mentioned, “We are on track to achieve the target of 100 per cent distribution of fortified rice across all rice-consuming districts in the country.” As per the plan, within the first part, the target was to cowl ICDS and PM POSHAN in India by March 2022. Under the second part, the plan was to prolong the scheme to beneficiaries of PDS and different welfare schemes in all aspirational and high-burden districts on stunting (a complete of 291 districts) by March 2023.
In the third part, the target was to cowl the remaining districts of the nation by March 2024. In April this yr, Chopra knowledgeable {that a} complete of 269 districts in 27 states began distributing fortified rice underneath PDS, attaining a 100 per cent target set for Phase II by March 2023.
The ministry has additionally developed Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for adherence to Quality Assurance (QA) & Quality Control (QC) protocols on the manufacturing and distribution of fortified rice/ FRKs (fortified rice kernels). Food regulator FSSAI, the regulatory/licensing authority for meals fortification, has drafted requirements for FRK and Pre-mix, and supplied route to all of the stakeholders for the operationalisation of draft requirements with quick impact.
(Wih inputs from PTI)
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