Forcing Fortification
Yesterday the cabinet approved distribution of fortified grains in PDS.
Mass fortification of cereals with iron is akin to medicating an entire nation. Ideally, iron is best used as a supplement under medical supervision to targeted groups such as pregnant women.
Only one in four men in India is estimated to be anaemic and it makes little sense to push iron into their diets... iron from fortified food will put men at a higher risk of diabetes
The single-nutrient focus of fortification pushes consumers to eat more of the same food, while a diversified diet mandates exactly the opposite—rely on a variety of food items to ensure the intake of the required essential nutrients.
The hope that nutritional indicators will improve by adding iron to rice is making a mockery of science… the solution lies in food diversity and addressing the question as to why a large number of people are unable to afford a diversified diet.
Do benefits of fortification outweigh risks? “For product manufacturers, the answer is an unequivocal yes," Marion Nestle wrote.. “They need only look at the greatly increased sales of calcium-fortified juices and fruit drinks to women (who are) concerned about osteoporosis
Marion Nestle (in her book Food Politics) terms packaged food with added nutrients as “techno-food", adding, because they offer food cos a genuine opportunity to promote sales, cos go to extraordinary lengths to protect the marketing environment for such products.
Sayantan Bera has put together these researched points. We need a survey on this. Should fortified food which benefits select food companies be pushed on people like this?
LocalCircles is where I have my hope 🙏 more
Mass fortification of cereals with iron is akin to medicating an entire nation. Ideally, iron is best used as a supplement under medical supervision to targeted groups such as pregnant women.
Only one in four men in India is estimated to be anaemic and it makes little sense to push iron into their diets... iron from fortified food will put men at a higher risk of diabetes
The single-nutrient focus of fortification pushes consumers to eat more of the same food, while a diversified diet mandates exactly the opposite—rely on a variety of food items to ensure the intake of the required essential nutrients.
The hope that nutritional indicators will improve by adding iron to rice is making a mockery of science… the solution lies in food diversity and addressing the question as to why a large number of people are unable to afford a diversified diet.
Do benefits of fortification outweigh risks? “For product manufacturers, the answer is an unequivocal yes," Marion Nestle wrote.. “They need only look at the greatly increased sales of calcium-fortified juices and fruit drinks to women (who are) concerned about osteoporosis
Marion Nestle (in her book Food Politics) terms packaged food with added nutrients as “techno-food", adding, because they offer food cos a genuine opportunity to promote sales, cos go to extraordinary lengths to protect the marketing environment for such products.
Sayantan Bera has put together these researched points. We need a survey on this. Should fortified food which benefits select food companies be pushed on people like this?
LocalCircles is where I have my hope 🙏 more
Viewed by 2367
View all 15 comments Below 15 comments
suggest washing the rice in cold water to rinse off the coating, if you do not want to consume the additives. The fortification is only a powder that is mixed into the rice and will not have been infused into the rice. more
Apr 20
I'm sure not even a single member of this Group consumes PDS Rice or Wheat ... These are targetted measures deployed with pin point accuracy, addressing the bottom 25% of the Indian population, plagued with malnourishment, who will benefit tremendously with these measures ... Kudos to govt ... more
Apr 20
Fortification must not be mendatory. It should by only optional. When the nation is breathing under so many burning issues, it is not understandable as to why the government is wasting its time with such an unwise decision! more
Apr 15
Free Mid-day meals coupled with free education administered countrywide through schools was best single manifold scope and scale solution that the previous government implemented for the masses who were children of poor. Yes micronutrients mentioned above help brain development among children. Effort here goes very far by cascading effects. With that framework still in place, just implement the same with school reopening now. more
Apr 13
