Food Safety Standards – FSSAI, food fortification, etc.
Food safety laws in states
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Food safety issues in India;
Why in the News?
The Uttar Pradesh government has mandated that all food establishments display the names and addresses of their owners and employees. In July, the Supreme Court put a hold on similar orders issued by the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
What are the regulations for selling food in India?
- Licensing and Registration: All food businesses must register with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) or obtain a license, depending on their scale of operation. Small-scale vendors are classified as “Petty Food Manufacturers” and must register under specific rules.
- Display Requirements: Food business operators are required to prominently display their FSSAI registration certificate or license, including a photo ID, at their premises or vehicles to inform customers about the legitimacy of the food business.
- Compliance and Penalties: Non-compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) can lead to penalties, including fines up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment for up to six months. Violators may also receive an Improvement Notice, which could result in license suspension or cancellation if not addressed.
What powers do states have to make laws in this regard?
- Authority to Make Rules:
- Under Section 94(1) of the FSSA, state governments can make rules for food safety after obtaining prior approval from the FSSAI.
- Section 94(2) specifies areas where states can legislate, such as additional functions of the Commissioner of Food Safety and other matters requiring state-level rules.
- Implementation: The Commissioner of Food Safety, appointed by the state government, is responsible for ensuring the efficient implementation of food safety regulations.
- Legislative Approval: Any rules made by the state government must be presented before the state legislature for approval (Section 94(3)).
Can a state government’s directives under FSSA be challenged in court?
- Grounds for Challenge: Previous orders from UP and Uttarakhand were contested on grounds that they discriminated against individuals based on religion or caste, violating constitutional rights under Articles 15(1) and 19(1)(g).
- Judicial Precedent: In July 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that only competent authorities under the FSSA could issue such directives, limiting police powers in this context
Way forward:
- Strengthening Regulatory Framework: There is a need to enhance the regulatory framework by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of state governments and the FSSAI.
- Engaging Stakeholders and Public Awareness: The government should engage with food business operators, consumers, and public health experts to foster better understanding and compliance with food safety regulations.
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Food Colorants and Chemical Additives Under Crackdown in Karnataka
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Permitted artificial colors; Rhodamine B.
Why in the News?
Karnataka’s Food Safety Department ordered action after 40 kebab samples showed unsafe artificial colours, extending the crackdown to Panipuri, Cotton candy, and Gobi Manchurian.
Artificial Colours in the Controversy
- Some artificial colours under scrutiny include:
- Sunset Yellow (Yellow 6, E110): Approved in the US but requires a warning label in the EU.
- Carmoisine (Red No. 10, E122): A deep red dye often used in food.
- Rhodamine B: A banned textile dye sometimes illegally used in food.
- Different countries have varying regulations for these dyes. For example, tartrazine (E102 in the EU, Yellow 5 in the US) is permitted but only in limited quantities.
Legal Action against FBOs
- To take legal action, the department collects a survey sample from an FBO and, if found unsafe, collects four more legal samples for further testing at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI).
- If CFTRI deems the samples unfit for consumption, the FBO is booked under the Food Safety Act and tried at a court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class (JMFC). Penalties can include a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for 7 years.
Role of FSSAI in Food Safety and Colorants Regulation
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plays a crucial role in regulating and ensuring food safety across the country under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.
Ingredients legally banned in India by the FSSAI and various states initiatives:
| Parameters | Details |
| Ingredients Banned in India |
|
| State Initiatives for Food Safety |
State Food Safety Index (SFSI) by FSSAI sheds light on the performance of Indian states in ensuring food safety. |
| PYQ:
[2021] Elaborate the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector. [2018] Consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only |
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Possible risks of “Acute Poisoning” due to high Capsaicin Levels
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Capsaicin Poisoning
Why in the News?
Food safety authorities in Denmark have recalled three types of South Korean spicy instant noodles due to potential risks of “acute Capsaicin poisoning.”
What is Capsaicin?
- Capsaicin, the chemical responsible for chili pepper spiciness, is primarily found in the white membrane (placenta) of some chili peppers.
- Mechanism of Capsaicin:
- Capsaicin binds to TRPV1 receptors in the human body, which detect heat and pain.
- These receptors are tricked by capsaicin into reacting as if there is a rise in temperature, causing a painful, burning sensation.
- The body’s response includes sweating, facial redness, runny nose, teary eyes, gut cramps, and diarrhoea as it attempts to cool down and expel the perceived heat.
Evolutionary Benefits of Capsaicin
- While birds avoid chilies, rodents consume them.
- Birds lack TRPV1 receptors, unlike rodents act as seed dispersers, aiding in the germination of chili seeds.
- Capsaicin serves an evolutionary purpose by deterring mammals from eating the seeds and protecting the plant from fungi and insects.
- Producing capsaicin is resource-intensive, making spicy chilies more vulnerable to droughts.
Human Affinity for Spicy Foods
- Over 3,000 chili cultivars have been bred for varying color, taste, and pungency.
- Some experts believe humans’ love for spicy foods stems from their antimicrobial benefits, which are particularly useful in hotter climates where food spoils faster.
- Psychologists argue that eating spicy foods is similar to thrill-seeking activities, providing a simulated risk without actual danger.
Potential Risks of Capsaicin
- High concentrations of capsaicin can cause heartburn, gastrointestinal pain, and diarrhoea.
- Long-term ingestion of high levels may lead to chronic gastrointestinal disorders.
- Capsaicin poisoning is rare due to the large amount required for toxicity, with a person needing to consume around 2.5 liters of Tabasco sauce to overdose.
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Tax ‘HFSS’ foods, view it as a public health imperative
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: fssai
Mains level: health and economic challenges associated with HFSS consumption in India
Central idea
The article advocates for the immediate implementation of High Fat Sugar Salt (HFSS) taxes in India to tackle health risks, emphasizing their role in encouraging healthier choices, driving industry reformulation, and reducing the economic strain on healthcare. It positions HFSS taxation as a vital public health imperative to address market failures and promote a sustainable food system.
Key Highlights:
- Rising Health Risks: High Fat Sugar Salt (HFSS) foods contribute significantly to health issues like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The global burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India has surged from 38% in 1990 to 65% in 2019, with 1.2 million deaths annually attributed to dietary risks.
- Economic Impact: Overweight and obesity’s economic impact in India was estimated at $23 billion in 2017, expected to rise to $480 billion by 2060. The ultra-processed food sector in India grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 13.4% between 2011 and 2021.
- Global Trend of Taxation: Many countries, including Denmark, France, Hungary, Mexico, South Africa, the UK, and the US, have implemented taxes on HFSS foods to combat obesity. Colombia’s recent “junk food law” serves as a model for other nations.
- Market Failures and Externalities: The consumption of HFSS foods leads to negative externalities in the form of increased healthcare expenditures, imposing societal costs. Taxes are proposed as a targeted tool to curb detrimental consumption habits, reducing societal burdens.
- Need for HFSS Tax: The article argues for taxing HFSS due to market failures, negative externalities, and internalities. Unlike sin goods, HFSS taxation aims to incentivize the industry to reformulate products for healthier alternatives and prompt consumers to choose a healthier diet.
- Designing Effective HFSS Tax: Properly designed HFSS taxes can be non-regressive and fiscally neutral. Differentiated tax rates based on nutritional quality can incentivize product reformulations. The goal is to make healthier alternatives more affordable and accessible.
- Inconsistencies in GST Rates: Current GST rates on ultra-processed foods do not align with nutritional content. Uniform tax rates overlook variations in sugar, salt, and nutritional impact, limiting their impact on altering consumption patterns.
- Public Health Imperative: HFSS taxation is positioned not just as an economic or fiscal policy concern but as a public health imperative. Effective taxes, combined with nutrition literacy and food labeling, can combat overweight and obesity, fostering a more sustainable and equitable food system.
Key Challenges:
- Resistance from Industry: The food industry may resist HFSS taxes, viewing them as detrimental to profits. Balancing industry interests with public health objectives poses a challenge.
- Designing Optimal Tax Rates: Determining the right tax rates that effectively deter HFSS consumption without being regressive requires careful consideration and analysis.
- Consumer Awareness: Ensuring that consumers are aware of the health implications of HFSS foods and understand the purpose of taxes is crucial for the success of such interventions.
Key Terms/Phrases:
- HFSS Foods: High Fat Sugar Salt foods, known for their negative impact on health.
- Negative Externalities: Detrimental effects of HFSS consumption on society, leading to increased healthcare costs.
- Internalities: Harm caused to individuals due to limited understanding influenced by marketing.
- Market Failures: Situations where the market does not efficiently allocate resources, leading to suboptimal outcomes.
- Non-regressive Tax: A tax that does not disproportionately burden lower-income individuals.
- Nutritional Quality: The nutritional content and health impact of food products.
Key Quotes:
- “HFSS taxation in India should not be merely seen as an economic or fiscal policy concern but it deserves to be considered a public health imperative.”
- “Effectively designed taxes can reap multiple benefits — they can act as a deterrent to consuming HFSS; promote healthier food choices; prompt manufacturers to reformulate foods; improve public health outcomes…”
Key Statements:
- “The imperative for taxing HFSS arises from significant market failures associated with their consumption, contributing to negative externalities and internalities.”
- “HFSS taxation in India should be both non-regressive and fiscally neutral, creating a level-playing field between HFSS and their healthier alternatives.”
Critical Analysis:
The article provides a comprehensive overview of the health and economic challenges associated with HFSS consumption in India. It effectively argues for the implementation of HFSS taxes as a public health imperative and highlights the need for well-designed, non-regressive tax policies. The emphasis on creating a fiscal environment that incentivizes healthier choices and product reformulation adds depth to the analysis.
Way Forward:
- Collaborative Approach: Engage stakeholders, including the food industry, health professionals, and policymakers, to collaboratively design and implement effective HFSS tax policies.
- Continuous Evaluation: Regularly assess the impact of HFSS taxes on consumption patterns, health outcomes, and industry practices, making adjustments as needed.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch campaigns to educate the public about the health risks associated with HFSS foods and the purpose of taxation, fostering informed choices.
- International Best Practices: Learn from and adapt successful strategies from countries that have effectively implemented HFSS taxes to address obesity and improve public health.
- Research and Innovation: Encourage research on the nutritional content of food products and innovative ways to reformulate HFSS items for healthier alternatives.
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Decline in Food Safety Standards across India: A Closer Look
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: State Food Safety Index (SFSI)
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central Idea
- Four years after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced a state-wise index to encourage improvements in food safety, alarming trends have emerged.
- A significant number of large Indian states have witnessed a drop in their food safety scores in 2023 compared to 2019.
- This analysis delves into the details of these findings, highlighting the key parameters, their weights, and how the states fared.
Understanding the State Food Safety Index (SFSI)
- FSSAI has developed the State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of states on various parameters of Food Safety.
- It was first rolled in 2018-19.
- This index is based on the performance of the State/ UT on five significant parameters set by the Health Ministry, namely
- Human Resources and Institutional Data
- Compliance
- Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance
- Training & Capacity Building and
- Consumer Empowerment
- In 2023, a new parameter, ‘Improvement in SFSI Rank,’ was added, altering the weightages of existing parameters to maintain a total score of 100.
- The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
Highlights of the 2023 Report
[A] Steepest Decline in Scores:
- Maharashtra: Witnessed the most significant drop, with a score of 45 in 2023 compared to 74 in 2019.
- Bihar: Scored 20.5 in 2023, down from 46 in 2019.
- Gujarat: Recorded a score of 48.5 in 2023, a sharp decline from 73 in 2019.
[B] Key Parameter Findings:
- Food Testing Infrastructure: Witnessed the most substantial decline, with the average score dropping to 7 out of 17 in 2023 from 13 out of 20 in 2019.
- Compliance: Received the highest weightage in 2023 but experienced a drop in scores for states like Jharkhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.
- Consumer Empowerment: Scored the highest in Tamil Nadu, while Bihar saw a significant decrease in this parameter.
- Human Resources and Institutional Data: Experienced a decline in scores for states like Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- Training and Capacity Building: Recorded an improvement, with the average score increasing to 5 out of 8 in 2023 from 3.5 out of 10 in 2019.
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Misleading food ads and regulations to curtail them
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Food safety governance in India
Central idea: Misleading claims
- FSSAI flagged 32 cases of food business operators (FBOs) making misleading claims and advertisements in contravention of the Food Safety and Standards (Advertisements & Claims) Regulations, 2018.
- The cumulative count of such offences has shot up to 170 in the last six months.
- FBOs urged to avoid making unscientific and exaggerated claims for larger consumer interest.
Regulations for tackling misleading ads and claims
- Regulations include-
- FSSAI’s Food Safety and Standards (Advertisements & Claims) Regulations, 2018
- CCPA’s regulations, and Cable Television Network Rules, 1994.
- FSSAI seeks truthful, unambiguous, meaningful, and scientifically substantiated claims.
- Claims suggesting suitability for prevention, alleviation, treatment, or cure of a disease, disorder, or particular psychological condition prohibited unless permitted under the regulations of the FSS Act, 2006.
Response of FSSAI
- Scrutinized products in categories such as health supplements, organic products, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) products, and staples endorsing certain health and product claims.
- Alleged violators include manufacturers and/or marketers of nutraceutical products, refined oils, pulses, flours, millet products, and ghee.
- Cases referred to concerned licensing authorities to issue notices and withdraw the misleading claims or scientifically substantiate them.
- Failure to comply would invite penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh, suspension, or cancellation of licenses for repeated offenses.
Recent observations in the food advertising ecosystem
- Non-disclosure: Close to 788 ads processed against food advertising, about 299 related to non-disclosure by food influencers, and 490+ ads found to be misleading.
- Fairly violative sector: Violations across different food categories and food.
Definitions of various terms
- Natural food product: A single food derived from a recognized natural source with no additives or chemicals.
- Fresh: This reference is allowed only for products not processed except washing, peeling, chilling, trimming, cutting, or low-dose irradiation.
- Pure: It is used for single-ingredient foods with nothing added and devoid of all avoidable contamination.
Expectations from a consumer’s point of view
- Clinical data: Companies need to provide clinical data about the outcomes pertaining to the control group, the administered group, and the observed period of the claimed outcomes.
- Interpretable ads: Advertisements need to be modified in a way a consumer can interpret.
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Combating micronutrient malnutrition through food fortification
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Food fortification and micronutrients
Mains level: Malnutrition in India, Food fortification and concerns
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Context
- When it comes to nutrition, or more specifically micronutrient malnutrition, there is an urgent need to address the maladies that poor nutrition can inflict on the masses, especially given the diverse populations in India.
What is malnutrition?
- Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
- The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions.
- One is ‘undernutrition’ which includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
- The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).
What are micronutrients and why they are so important?
- Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts.
- They perform a range of functions, including enabling the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances needed for normal growth and development.
- However, their impact on a body’s health is critical, and deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening conditions. This can lead to reduced educational outcomes, reduced work productivity and increased risk from other diseases
- Deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and iodine are the most common around the world, particularly in children and pregnant women.
- Low- and middle-income counties bear the disproportionate burden of micronutrient deficiencies.
- Many of these deficiencies are preventable through food fortification and supplementation, where needed.
The worrying status of malnutrition in India
- According to National family Health survey (NFHS): As in NFHS-5 data, every second Indian woman is anaemic, every third child is stunted and malnourished, and every fifth child is wasted.
- According to an FAO Food Security Report for 2021: India ranks 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2021, with a 15.3% undernourished population, the highest proportion of stunted children (30%), and wasted children (17.3%).
- Higher rate of stunting: The picture the Global Nutrition Report 2021 paints is cause for concern, noting that stunting among children in India is significantly higher than the Asian average of 21.8%.
How the countries are tackling malnutrition?
- Since the 1920s, developed countries and high-income countries have successfully tackled the issue of malnutrition through food fortification.
- Of late, the low-and middle-income countries, such as India, have pursued food fortification as one of the strategies to tackle micronutrient malnutrition.
- The health benefits accruing from food fortification have made 80 countries to frame laws for the fortification of cereal flour, and 130 countries with iodised salt, where 13 countries have mandated rice fortification.
What is food fortification?
- Food fortification is the process of adding nutrients to food.
- For instance, rice and wheat are fortified with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, and salt fortified with iron and iodine. Iodised salt has been in use for the past few decades.
How India is tackling malnutrition and anemia?
- Fortified rice though PDS: Pilot projects on the distribution of fortified rice have been taken up in select States, including Maharashtra (Gadchiroli district) as part of a targeted Public Distribution programme for the masses.
- Scaling up the distribution through various food security schemes: The programme has been a success in terms of preventing cases of anaemia from 58.9% to 29.5%, within a span of two years, prompting the central government to declare the scaling up of the distribution of fortified rice, the major staple diet of 65% of the population, through the existing platform of social safety nets such as the PDS, ICDS and PM-POSHAN.
- Cost-effective strategy: Experiences from the different States on the fortified rice project, so far tally with the results of global programmes that use fortified food as a cost-effective strategy.
- Reduction in anaemia: The study found a promising reduction (29.5%) in the prevalence of anaemia among women, adolescent girls, and children put together in Gadchiroli district.
Case study of Noon meal scheme in Gujarat
- In Gujarat, an eight-month long study on multiple micronutrient fortified rice intervention for schoolchildren (six-12 years) in 2018-2019, as part of the Midday Meal Scheme, found increased haemoglobin concentration, 10% reduction in anaemia prevalence, and, more importantly, improved average cognitive scores (by 11.3%).
The probable outcome according to NITI Aayog
- Iron deficiency anaemia is a major public health concern, because it is responsible for 3.6% of disability-adjusted life years or DALYs (years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) i.e., a loss of 47 million DALYs, or years of healthy life lost due to illness, disability, or premature death (2016).
- According to NITI Aayog (based on WHO meta-analysis on the impact of rice fortification), a rice fortification budget of around ₹2,800 crore per year can save 35% of the total or 16.6 million DALYs per year with no known risk of toxicity.
- In India, the cost of one DALY lost due to iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is approximately ₹30,000, while the cost of averting an IDA-related DALY is only ₹1,545, resulting in a cost-benefit ratio of 1:18.
- Rice fortification, which costs less than 1% of the food subsidy bill (2018-19), has the potential to prevent 94.1 million anemia cases, saving ₹8,098 crore over a five-year period.
Concerns over the excess of per capita nutrients intake?
- Despite the programme’s proven efficacy, activists have expressed concern that excess iron overload from fortified rice has been dangerous for Jharkhand’s tribal population suffering from sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia.
- Iron levels in fortified rice range from 28 mg to 42.5 mg, folic acid levels from 75 mcg-125 mcg, and vitamin B12 levels from 0.75 mcg to 1.2 mcg (FSSAI standards).
- Considering the per capita intake, in a family of three members with a rice consumption of approximately 60 grams per person, the additional intake is 2.45 mg of iron. This in fact compensates our daily losses of iron from the body, which is 1 mg-2 mg per day.
Conclusion
- Given its proven efficacy and cost-effectiveness, food fortification can help us in reducing micronutrient deficiencies and address overall health benefits. The intervention, carried out with precautions is the key to address the issue of the malnutrition.
Mains question
Q. What is micronutrient malnutrition? Food fortification programmes have made great strides in India, reducing micronutrient deficiencies in recent decades but more efforts are needed. Discuss
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Tamil Nadu tops State Food Safety Index (SFSI)
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: State Food Safety Index (SFSI)
Mains level: Food safety
Tamil Nadu topped the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) this year.
Food safety has been in news this year quite frequent. Do make a note of following – Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Red Octagon, Eat Right Movement, Food Safety Mitra etc.
State Food Safety Index (SFSI)
- FSSAI has developed State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of states on various parameters of Food Safety.
- This index is based on the performance of State/ UT on five significant parameters set by the Health Ministry, namely
- Human Resources and Institutional Data
- Compliance
- Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance
- Training & Capacity Building and
- Consumer Empowerment
- The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
Highlights of the 2022 Report
- Tamil Nadu is followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra. Among the smaller States, Goa stood first, followed by Manipur and Sikkim.
- Among the Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured the first, second and third ranks.
Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
- It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
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Health Star Rating System of FSSAI for Packaged Food
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Health Star Rating System, FOPL
Mains level: Not Much
The “health star rating” system that the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plans to adopt in order to help consumers reduce their intake of unhealthy foods has been opposed by close to a dozen consumer and health advocacy groups.
What is the Health Star Rating System?
- In February, the FSSAI decided to adopt the “health-star rating system”, which gives a product 1/2 a star to 5 stars, in its draft regulations for front of package labelling (FOPL).
- The HSR format ranks a packaged food item based on salt, sugar, and fat content and the rating will be printed on the front of the package.
- The underlying premise of the HSR is that positive ingredients such as fruits and nuts can offset negative nutrients such as calories, saturated fat, total sugar, sodium to calculate the number of stars ascribed to a product.
- The decision was based on the recommendations of a study by the IIM-Ahmedabad the regulator had commissioned in September 2021.
- In the same meeting, the regulator decided that FOPL implementation could be made voluntary for a period of four years.
What is FoPL?
- In India, packaged food has had back-of-package (BOP) nutrient information in detail but no FoPL.
- Counter to this, FoPL can nudge people towards healthy consumption of packaged food.
- It can also influence purchasing habits.
- The study endorsed the HSR format, which speaks about the proportions of salt, sugar, and fat in food that is most suited for consumers.
- Countries such as the UK, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Hungary, and Australia have implemented FoPL systems.
What warranted the HSR rating in India?
- Visual bluff: A lot of Indian consumers do not read the information available at the back of the packaged food item.
- Burden of NCDs: Also, India has a huge burden of non-communicable diseases that contributes to around 5.87 million (60%) of all deaths in a year.
- Healthy dietary choices: HSR will encourage people to make healthy choices and could bring a transformational change in the society.
- Supreme Court order: A PIL seeking direction to the government to frame guidelines on HSR and impact assessment for food items and beverages was filed in the Supreme Court in June 2021.
Which category of food item will have HSR?
- All packaged food items or processed food will have the HSR label.
- These will include chips, biscuits, namkeen, sweets and chocolates, meat nuggets, and cookies.
- However, milk and its products such as chenna and ghee are EXEMPTED as per the FSSAI draft notified in 2019.
Will there be pushback from food industry?
- Negative warning: Some experts opposed the use of the HSR model in India, suggesting that consumers might tend to take this as an affirmation of the health benefits rather than as a negative warning of ill effects.
- Lack of awareness: This is significant because there is lack of awareness on star ratings related to consumer products in India.
- Impact on Sale: Certain organisations fear it might affect the sale of certain food products.
Arguments against health star rating
- Experts argue that “warning labels” instead have been most effective in various countries.
- They said the HSR system adopted in countries like Australia and New Zealand has not resulted in any meaningful behavior change.
- Even after eight years of their implementation, there is still no evidence of HSRs having a significant impact on the nutritional quality of people’s food and beverage purchases.
- Also, the HSR system “misrepresents nutrition science”.
- The algorithm of adding and subtracting nutrients does not fit with our understanding of biology.
- For example, the presence of fruit in a fruit drink juice does not offset the impacts of added sugar in the body.
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[pib] Fortification of Rice
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fortification of food
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved supply of fortified rice in all States and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.
What is the news?
- Fortified Rice will be supplied throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the:
- National Food Security Act (NFSA)
- Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
- Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman-PM POSHAN [erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM)] and
- Other Welfare Schemes (OWS)
Phases of implementation
The following three phases are envisaged for full implementation of the initiative:
- Phase-I: Covering ICDS and PM POSHAN in India all over by March, 2022 which is under implementation.
- Phase-II: Phase I above plus TPDS and OWS in all Aspirational and High Burden Districts on stunting (total 291 districts) by March 2023.
- Phase-III: Phase II above plus covering the remaining districts of the country by March 2024.
What is Fortification?
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has explicitly defined fortification.
- It involves deliberate increasing of the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health.
Types of food fortification
Food fortification can also be categorized according to the stage of addition:
- Commercial and industrial fortification (wheat flour, cornmeal, cooking oils)
- Biofortification (breeding crops to increase their nutritional value, which can include both conventional selective breeding, and genetic engineering)
- Home fortification (example: vitamin D drops)
How is fortification done for rice?
- Various technologies are available to add micronutrients to regular rice, such as coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’.
- The last mentioned involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture using an ‘extruder’ machine.
- It is considered to be the best technology for India.
- The fortified rice kernels are blended with regular rice to produce fortified rice.
How does the extrusion technology to produce FRK work?
- Dry rice flour is mixed with a premix of micronutrients, and water is added to this mixture.
- The mixture is passed through a twin-screw extruder with heating zones, which produces kernels similar in shape and size to rice.
- These kernels are dried, cooled, and packaged for use. FRK has a shelf life of at least 12 months.
- As per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the shape and size of the fortified rice kernel should “resemble the normal milled rice as closely as possible”.
- According to the guidelines, the length and breadth of the grain should be 5 mm and 2.2 mm respectively.
But why does rice have to be fortified in the first place?
- India has very high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
- According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anaemic and every third child is stunted.
- Fortification of food is considered to be one of the most suitable methods to combat malnutrition.
- Rice is one of India’s staple foods, consumed by about two-thirds of the population. Per capita rice consumption in India is 6.8 kg per month.
- Therefore, fortifying rice with micronutrients is an option to supplement the diet of the poor.
What are the standards for fortification?
- Under the Ministry’s guidelines, 10 g of FRK must be blended with 1 kg of regular rice.
- According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg of fortified rice will contain the following: iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram), and vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
- Rice may also be fortified with zinc (10 mg-15 mg), vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), vitamin B-1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), vitamin B-2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), vitamin B-3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and vitamin B-6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.
Does fortified rice have to be cooked differently?
- The cooking of fortified rice does not require any special procedure.
- The rice needs to be cleaned and washed in the normal way before cooking.
- After cooking, fortified rice retains the same physical properties and micronutrient levels as it had before cooking.
What is India’s capacity for fortification?
- At the time of the PM’s announcement last year, nearly 2,700 rice mills had installed blending units for the production of fortified rice.
- India’s blending capacity now stands at 13.67 lakh tonnes in 14 key states, according to figures provided by the Ministry.
- FRK production had increased rapidly from 7,250 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes within 2 years.
How can a beneficiary distinguish between fortified rice and regular rice?
- Fortified rice will be packed in jute bags with the logo (‘+F’) and the line “Fortified with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12”.
Advantages offered
- Health: Fortified staple foods will contain natural or near-natural levels of micro-nutrients, which may not necessarily be the case with supplements.
- Taste: It provides nutrition without any change in the characteristics of food or the course of our meals.
- Nutrition: If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittently supplement.
- Economy: The overall costs of fortification are extremely low; the price increase is approximately 1 to 2 percent of the total food value.
- Society: It upholds everyone’s right to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger
Issues with fortified food
- Against nature: Fortification and enrichment upset nature’s packaging. Our body does not absorb individual nutrients added to processed foods as efficiently compared to nutrients naturally occurring.
- Bioavailability: Supplements added to foods are less bioavailable. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient your body is able to absorb and use.
- Immunity issues: They lack immune-boosting substances.
- Over-nutrition: Fortified foods and supplements can pose specific risks for people who are taking prescription medications, including decreased absorption of other micro-nutrients, treatment failure, and increased mortality risk.
Back2Basics: Public Distribution System (PDS)
- The PDS is an Indian food Security System established under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.
- PDS evolved as a system of management of scarcity through the distribution of food grains at affordable prices.
- PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and State Governments.
- The Central Government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation, and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments.
- The operational responsibilities including allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of FPSs etc., rest with the State Governments.
- Under the PDS, presently the commodities namely wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene are being allocated to the States/UTs for distribution.
- Some states/UTs also distribute additional items of mass consumption through PDS outlets such as pulses, edible oils, iodized salt, spices, etc.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme
- The Midday Meal Scheme is a school meal program in India designed to better the nutritional standing of school-age children nationwide.
- It is a wholesome freshly-cooked lunch served to children in government and government-aided schools in India.
- It supplies free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government-aided, local body, and alternate innovative education centers, Madarsa and Maqtabs.
- The program has undergone many changes since its launch in 1995.
- The Midday Meal Scheme is covered by the National Food Security Act, 2013.
The scheme aims to:
- avoid classroom hunger
- increase school enrolment
- increase school attendance
- improve socialization among castes
- address malnutrition
- empower women through employment
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What is ‘Front-of-Pack Labelling’ (FoPL)?
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FoP Labelling
Mains level: Packaged food regulation
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will soon start labelling the front of packaged food products with Health Star Rating (HSR).
What is FoPL?
- In India, packaged food has had back-of-package (BOP) nutrient information in detail but no FoPL.
- Counter to this, FoPL can nudge people towards healthy consumption of packaged food.
- It can also influence purchasing habits.
- The study endorsed the HSR format, which speaks about the proportions of salt, sugar, and fat in food that is most suited for consumers.
- Countries such as the UK, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Hungary, and Australia have implemented FoPL systems.
What warranted such rating in India?
- Visual bluff: A lot of Indian consumers do not read the information available at the back of the packaged food item.
- Burden of NCDs: Also, India has a huge burden of non-communicable diseases that contributes to around 5.87 million (60%) of all deaths in a year.
- Healthy dietary choices: HSR will encourage people to make healthy choices and could bring a transformational change in the society.
- Supreme court order: A PIL seeking direction to the government to frame guidelines on HSR and impact assessment for food items and beverages was filed in the Supreme Court in June 2021.
Which category of food item will have HSR?
- All packaged food items or processed food will have the HSR label.
- These will include chips, biscuits, namkeen, sweets and chocolates, meat nuggets, and cookies.
- However, milk and its products such as chenna and ghee are EXEMPTED as per the FSSAI draft notified in 2019.
Will there be pushback from food industry?
- Negative warning: Some experts opposed the use of the HSR model in India, suggesting that consumers might tend to take this as an affirmation of the health benefits rather than as a negative warning of ill effects.
- Lack of awareness: This is significant because there is lack of awareness on star ratings related to consumer products in India.
- Impact on Sale: Certain organisations fear it might affect the sale of certain food products.
When will the rating come into force?
- FSSAI’s scientific panel recommends voluntary implementation of HSR format from 2023 and a transition period of four years for making it mandatory.
- FSSAI noted that the proposed thresholds are in alignment with the models implemented in other countries and ‘WHO population nutrient intake goals recommendations’.
- FSSAI will analyse the nutritional information in 100 mg of packaged food.
- The food safety compliance system licensing application portal will have a module for generating certificates wherein a licensee can enter details of a product.
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Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
- It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
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What are Eat Right Campuses?
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Eat Right Movement
Mains level: Food habits and prevalence of NCDs
Four police stations of New Delhi district have been certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’ by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Eat Right Campus
- Eat Right India is a flagship mission of FSSAI, which aims at ensuring that the citizens of the country get safe and nutritious food.
- The ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative led by FSSAI aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates etc. across the country.
- The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote social and economic development of the nation.
- The initiative is not mandatory to adopt.
Evaluation Criteria
- Benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’.
- These parameters include
- Food safety measures, steps to ensure the provision of healthy, Environmentally sustainable food, and Building awareness to make the right food choices.
- These practices include mandatory steps such as licensing and registration of food service providers in the campus and compliance to food safety and hygiene standards as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.
Benefits of Eat Right Campus
- It can provide immense benefits to the campus and the individuals on the campus not only in terms of health but also economics.
- Safe, healthy, and sustainable food on the campus would reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses, deficiency diseases, and non-communicable diseases among the people on the campus.
- This means less absenteeism and loss of working hours and greater wellbeing, motivation, and productivity of people.
- This would also reduce the burden of healthcare costs for the workplace, institution, hospital, jail, or tea estate.
Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
- It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
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Centre announces uniform norms for Fortified Rice
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fortification of food
Mains level: Isuses with fortified food
Days after the Prime Minister’s announcement of a rice fortification plan, the Centre has issued “uniform” parameters for fortified rice kernels (FRK) for grade ‘A’ and common rice.
Plan for fortified rice
- The fortified rice is to be distributed under various government schemes, including the public distribution system (PDS) and midday meals in schools, by 2024.
- The specifications for such rice have been issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
- Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution for the first time issued uniform specifications for Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK).
What are the norms announced?
- Common Rice have in case of procurement of Fortified Rice Stocks, of which 1% of FRK (w/w) should be blended with normal rice stock.
- These specifications as per standard practice have been issued in respect of Paddy, Rice and other coarse grains namely Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Ragi.
What is Fortification?
- FSSAI defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.
What is Fortified Rice?
- Rice can be fortified by adding a micronutrient powder to the rice that adheres to the grains or spraying the surface of ordinary rice grains with a vitamin and mineral mix to form a protective coating.
- Rice can also be extruded and shaped into partially precooked grain-like structures resembling rice grains, which can then be blended with natural polished rice.
- Rice kernels can be fortified with several micronutrients, such as iron, folic acid, and other B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and zinc.
- These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a 1:100 ratio, and distributed for consumption.
Note: Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology. It differs from conventional fortification in that Biofortification aims to increase nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than through manual means during the processing of the crops.
What is the plan announced by the PM?
- Malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children pose major obstacles in their development.
- In view of this, it has been decided that the government will fortify the rice given to the poor under its various schemes.
- Be it the rice available at ration shops or the rice provided to children in their mid-day meals, the rice available through every scheme will be fortified by the year 2024.
Why such a move?
- The announcement is significant as the country has high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
- According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anemic and every third child is stunted.
- India ranks 94 out of 107 countries and is in the ‘serious hunger’ category on the Global Hunger Index (GHI).
- Fortification of rice is a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets.
- According to the Food Ministry, seven countries have mandated rice fortification – the USA, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and the Solomon Islands.
Advantages offered
- Health: Fortified staple foods will contain natural or near-natural levels of micro-nutrients, which may not necessarily be the case with supplements.
- Taste: It provides nutrition without any change in the characteristics of food or the course of our meals.
- Nutrition: If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittently supplement.
- Economy: The overall costs of fortification are extremely low; the price increase is approximately 1 to 2 percent of the total food value.
- Society: It upholds everyone’s right to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger
Issues with fortified food
- Against nature: Fortification and enrichment upset nature’s packaging. Our body does not absorb individual nutrients added to processed foods as efficiently compared to nutrients naturally occurring.
- Bioavailability: Supplements added to foods are less bioavailable. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient your body is able to absorb and use.
- Immunity issues: They lack immune-boosting substances.
- Over-nutrition: Fortified foods and supplements can pose specific risks for people who are taking prescription medications, including decreased absorption of other micro-nutrients, treatment failure, and increased mortality risk.
Adhering to FSSAI standard
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sets standards for food items in the country.
- According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice will contain iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram), and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
- In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, with zinc(10 mg-15 mg), Vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), Vitamin B1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), Vitamin B2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), Vitamin B3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and Vitamin B6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.
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Front-of-pack labelling of Food Stuffs
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Front of Pack Labelling System
Seven years, four committees and two draft regulations later, India still does not have a clear labelling system to warn consumers about harmful levels of fat, salt and sugar in processed foods.
Context
- According to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, every pre-packed processed food product sold in the country must be labelled with nutritional information.
- To ensure that consumers are able to easily see and interpret the nutritional information on food packets, an expert committee was established by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
- The committee, set up following an order of the Delhi High Court which was hearing a public interest petition seeking a ban on the sale of junk food in and around schools.
Why label nutritional information?
- This helps the consumer know everything about the food they buy and make an informed decision about what and how much to eat.
- Such information is particularly crucial because the packaged food contain ultra-processed foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar and low in fibre and other essential micronutrients.
- On the one hand, these foods cause malnutrition.
- On the other hand they are linked strongly with obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases, such as Type-2 diabetes, hypertension, heart ailments and certain cancers, like that of the colon.
- All these increase the risk of premature death.
Issues with labelling in India
- Most products provide information in English understanding which can be daunting for a vast number of people in India.
What is FoP labelling?
- The front-of-pack (FoP) labelling system has long been listed as one of the global best practices to nudge consumers into healthy food choices.
- It works just the way cigarette packets are labelled with images to discourage consumption.
- Countries such as Chile, Brazil and Israel have laws to push the packaged food industry to adopt FoP labelling.
- They have used FoP labelling as a measure to fight obesity and NCDs.
FoP labelling in India
- The system is yet to be implemented in India even seven years after it was first proposed by FSSAI.
- The fact is, makers of packaged foods are also a powerful lot, with strong business acumen.
- While companies in other countries have acceded to the FoP labelling laws, they are unwilling to do so in India — a country experiencing a dietary shift.
Why must we have FoP labels?
- Countries are working to find ways to nudge consumers into healthy food choices and to contain the growing crisis of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
- It is a crisis that increasingly impacts children and also exacerbates novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms. Front-of-pack (FoP) labelling is definitely an effective tool in this effort.
India definitely needs ‘warning labels’ on front-of-pack, but this must be a symbol-based label with no text and numbers. This is because:
(1) Junk foods have high levels of unhealthy nutrients
- There is strong evidence that sugar, salt and fat in junk foods are addictive, like nicotine in tobacco.
- FoP ‘warning’ labels have helped reduce cigarette consumption. It is time we adopted the same for junk foods.
(2) Warning labels are easy to notice and understand
- They do not confuse consumers with mixed messages.
- Their distinct shape, colour and size make them noticeable in the otherwise cluttered and colourful packaging.
- With one label for one nutrient, it becomes easier to know if a product is high in more than one nutrient.
(3) Warning labels are the global best practice now
- At least seven countries have adopted warning labels in the past five years. These include Chile, Peru, Mexico, Israel and Uruguay.
- Low- and middle-income mothers have shown profound changes in attitudes towards food purchases as they now understand the nutritional content of packaged foods.
- Even children can read the labels and take an informed decision. This has also forced food companies to reduce the amount of sugar and sodium in foods and beverages.
(4) They are best suited for India
- Warning labels are best suited for India as they do not include numbers unlike many other FoP labels.
- In fact, warning labels that are symbol-based, like that of Israel, can transcend the barriers of literacy and language in India.
(5) FSSAI has experience of successfully implementing symbol-based FoP labels
- Its “green filled circle in green outlined square” logo to depict vegetarian food has been hugely successful in informing consumers.
- In recent years, FSSAI also has made similar laws to depict fortification (+F logo) and organic food (a green-coloured tick for Jaivik Bharat logo).
Way forward
- FoP labels must include information on nutrients that make food injurious to health.
- This should be distinct from the details on the back-of-pack. FoP labels should aim to inform the consumer, while the back-of-pack label serves the purpose of scientific compliance and enforcement.
- FoP labels should have information on ‘total sugar’ and not ‘added sugar’. There is no analytical laboratory method to differentiate ‘added sugar’ from total sugar and quantify it.
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Why India’s Steady Exports Are At A Record High?
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NMP
Mains level: Paper 3- Need for export facilitation
Context
First-quarter growth in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) stands at 20.1 %. This however still means that GDP in the first quarter was 9.2 % below its level two years ago.
Export: Challenges
- The key driver of growth in the coming quarters will be exports riding on the rapidity of recovery in major markets.
- There are two serious worries here.
- 1) Bullwhip element: This could cause an immediate ramp-up in demand for steel and other such upstream elements in global supply chains, with a corresponding damp down in the months to come.
- In this connection, although the rates under the scheme for remission of duties and taxes on exported products (RODTEP) were finally notified in mid-August.
- Steel, pharma and chemicals get no rebate at all, although many products using these inputs do.
- The scheme looks like a subsidy to selected sectors disguised as duty rollback, which can get India into trouble at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- These excluded products need the rebate if they are to survive in a fiercely price-competitive global market in the months to come.
- 2) Container shortage: A crippling shortage of sea-borne containers has afflicted key large-volume products in the Indian export basket (tea, basmati rice, furniture, garments).
- Sea-freight subsidy: At a time when container rates have shot up, there is surely a case for a sea-freight subsidy (for a limited period).
- Even more urgently, the estimated 25,000-30,000 containers locked up at different ports owing to customs disputes need to be unloaded into warehouses and these containers freed.
Can National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) spur growth?
- Even if the expected ₹88,000 crore of revenue under NMP is realized during the current year, it is intended to feed only a small part of the infrastructure expenditure budgeted for the year.
- It is the latter that will have to drive growth. Monetization is merely a funding source.
- The scheme offers a participation incentive to states with a 33% matching transfer from the Centre for revenues that states realize under the scheme.
- This matching transfer could well have the perverse consequence of states under-achieving the potential value realizable.
- Volume II of the NMP document refers to the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure announced in October 2020.
- It offered states an interest-free loan with bullet repayment after 50 years to complete stalled capital projects, or settle the outstanding bills of contractors.
- The NMP demands clear and well-thought-through processes, with sufficient transparency and safeguards in the form of regulatory structures.
Conclusion
For now, the need of the hour is export facilitation.
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PM announces Rice Fortification Plan
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fortification of food
Mains level: Addressing malnutrition issues
PM in his I-day speech has announced the fortification of rice distributed under various government schemes, including the Public Distribution System (PDS) and mid-day meals in schools, by 2024.
What is Fortification?
- FSSAI defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.
What is Fortified Rice?
- Rice can be fortified by adding a micronutrient powder to the rice that adheres to the grains or spraying the surface of ordinary rice grains with a vitamin and mineral mix to form a protective coating.
- Rice can also be extruded and shaped into partially precooked grain-like structures resembling rice grains, which can then be blended with natural polished rice.
- Rice kernels can be fortified with several micronutrients, such as iron, folic acid, and other B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and zinc.
- These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a 1:100 ratio, and distributed for consumption.
Note: Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology. It differs from conventional fortification in that Biofortification aims to increase nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than through manual means during the processing of the crops.
What is the plan announced by the PM?
- Malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children pose major obstacles in their development.
- In view of this, it has been decided that the government will fortify the rice given to the poor under its various schemes.
- Be it the rice available at ration shops or the rice provided to children in their mid-day meals, the rice available through every scheme will be fortified by the year 2024.
Why such a move?
- The announcement is significant as the country has high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
- According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anemic and every third child is stunted.
- India ranks 94 out of 107 countries and is in the ‘serious hunger’ category on the Global Hunger Index (GHI).
- Fortification of rice is a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets.
- According to the Food Ministry, seven countries have mandated rice fortification – the USA, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and the Solomon Islands.
Advantages offered
- Health: Fortified staple foods will contain natural or near-natural levels of micro-nutrients, which may not necessarily be the case with supplements.
- Taste: It provides nutrition without any change in the characteristics of food or the course of our meals.
- Nutrition: If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittently supplement.
- Economy: The overall costs of fortification are extremely low; the price increase is approximately 1 to 2 percent of the total food value.
- Society: It upholds everyone’s right to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger
Issues with fortified food
- Against nature: Fortification and enrichment upset nature’s packaging. Our body does not absorb individual nutrients added to processed foods as efficiently compared to nutrients naturally occurring.
- Bioavailability: Supplements added to foods are less bioavailable. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient your body is able to absorb and use.
- Immunity issues: They lack immune-boosting substances.
- Over-nutrition: Fortified foods and supplements can pose specific risks for people who are taking prescription medications, including decreased absorption of other micro-nutrients, treatment failure, and increased mortality risk.
Adhering to FSSAI standard
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sets standards for food items in the country.
- According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice will contain iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram), and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
- In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, with zinc(10 mg-15 mg), Vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), Vitamin B1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), Vitamin B2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), Vitamin B3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and Vitamin B6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.
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Back2Basics: Public Distribution System (PDS)
- The PDS is an Indian food Security System established under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.
- PDS evolved as a system of management of scarcity through the distribution of food grains at affordable prices.
- PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and State Governments.
- The Central Government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation, and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments.
- The operational responsibilities including allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of FPSs etc., rest with the State Governments.
- Under the PDS, presently the commodities namely wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene are being allocated to the States/UTs for distribution.
- Some states/UTs also distribute additional items of mass consumption through PDS outlets such as pulses, edible oils, iodized salt, spices, etc.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme
- The Midday Meal Scheme is a school meal program in India designed to better the nutritional standing of school-age children nationwide.
- It is a wholesome freshly-cooked lunch served to children in government and government-aided schools in India.
- It supplies free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government-aided, local body, and alternate innovative education centers, Madarsa and Maqtabs.
- The programme has undergone many changes since its launch in 1995.
- The Midday Meal Scheme is covered by the National Food Security Act, 2013.
The scheme aims to:
- avoid classroom hunger
- increase school enrolment
- increase school attendance
- improve socialization among castes
- address malnutrition
- empower women through employment
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Food Safety Standards – FSSAI, food fortification, etc.
[pib] NAFED launches Fortified Rice Bran Oil
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Rice Bran Oil
Mains level: Health risks posed by Edible oils
The Department of Food and Public Distribution today E-launched “NAFED Fortified Rice Bran Oil”.
Rice Bran Oil
- Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called chaff (rice husk).
- It is known for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir-frying and deep-frying.
- It is popular as a cooking oil in the Indian subcontinent.
- It has a composition similar to that of peanut oil, with 38% monounsaturated, 37% polyunsaturated, and 25% saturated fatty acids.
- It is generally safe for consumption for most people when used in moderate amounts. However excessive usage of rice bran oil can lead to stomach discomfort.
What is NAFED oil?
- Rice Bran oil from NAFED will be fortified and it will be ensured that it will contain additional nutrients and vitamins.
- This Rice bran oil will be marketed by NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd).
- According to the FSSAI, fortified oil can help a person fulfill 25-30% of the recommended dietary intake for vitamins A and D.
- NAFED Fortified Rice Bran Oil will be available at all NAFED Stores and also on various online platforms.
Benefits of the NAFED oil
- This initiative will significantly reduce the country’s consumption dependence on imported edible oil in the future.
- This will provide opportunities for Indian edible oil manufacturers further, and also will give an impetus to the Aatmnirbhar Bharat initiative.
- It will provide easy access to NAFED branded high-quality rice bran oil, which will also give a boost to the indigenous oil manufacturing industry.
Health benefits of rice bran oil
- Rice Bran oil has multiple health benefits, including lowering cholesterol levels due to its low trans-fat content and high monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat contents.
- It also acts as a booster and reduces the risk of cancer due to the high amount of Vitamin E it contains.
- This oil is recommended by The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the best substitutes for other edible oils.
About NAFED
- NAFED is an apex organization under the Ministry of Agriculture that deals with marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.
- It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act.
- It was set up with the object to promote Cooperative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit the farmers.
- Agricultural farmers are the main members of NAFED, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of NAFED.
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Mustard oil blending is now banned
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Edible Oil imports of India
Mains level: NA
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had decided this on March 31. This would end the practice to add other edible oil (like palms, rice bran, etc) to mustard oil.
Why such move?
- This is good news for mustard farmers whose fortunes were adversely hit as up to a fifth of mustard oil volume could earlier be blends of other oils.
- But why did India start the practice in the first place? And how has it affected consumer health?
Answer this question from CSP 2018:
Q.Consider the following statements:
- The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.
- The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Why did the blending begin?
- The Union health ministry had allowed blending in edible vegetable oil in a notification in 1990.
- In 1998, Delhi and other north Indian states witnessed the dropsy epidemic — a disease that caused swelling in the body due to the build-up of fluid in tissues.
- At least 60 people died and 3,000 were hospitalized in the national capital.
- Researchers believed the consumption of mustard oil caused the disease.
Adulteration is hazardous
- Upon investigation, it was found to be adulterated with Argemone Mexicana, a kind of weed that grows with yellow flowers.
- The adulteration, however, was highly suspicious: While mustard is a rabi crop that is cultivated in the winters, Argemone Mexicana grows in April-May.
- This meant that the possibility of mixing mustard seeds with that Argemone mexicana was rare.
- The suspicious adulteration stoked fear among the masses. It started a campaign against the consumption of oil.
- Several studies have found mustard oil unsafe for consumption.
The 1990 decision
- Experts have claimed that the blending of mustard oil was not only dangerous to health but also adversely impacted mustard farming.
- Some groups have also flagged the blending of refined oil.
- Following the Union health ministry’s 1990 notification allowing for the blending of edible vegetable oil, the FSSAI rolled out regulations in the regard in 2006.
- Producers and other companies involved in blending were regularised through the Agriculture Produce (Grading and Marking) Act (AGMARK).
- It also made it mandatory to write the kind of oil used for blending over the packet.
- The companies involved in blending strongly advocated for the cause, despite reports about its excess and unregulated use. The governments over the years have been tight-lipped about it.
Has blending led to dependence over the import of oil?
- In 1990-91, India was self-reliant in mustard oil production and produced 98 percent of the oil needed.
- Blending mustard oil with other edible oils considered to bolster nutritional profile, taste, and quality.
- Despite the harmful effects, the processing industry took advantage of blending.
- Cheap palm oil would be blended up to 80 percent in mustard oil sometimes.
- As a result, profits of mustard farmers dried up, which discouraged them from cultivating the crop.
- This could be one of the reasons behind India’s increasing dependency on oil imports over the last two decades.
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FSSAI slashes limit for Trans Fats level in food
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Trans fats
Mains level: Health threats posed by Trans Fats
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5%.
New FSSAI norms
- FSSAI has acted in response to the amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations.
- The country’s food regulatory body notified the amendment on December 29, more than a year after it issued a draft on the subject for consultation with stakeholders.
- The revised regulation applies to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings, and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads.
- It was in 2011 that India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats, which was further reduced to 5% in 2015.
What are Trans Fats?
- Artificial Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.
- Since they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time, and give foods a desirable taste and texture, they are still widely used despite their harmful effects being well-known.
Why such a regulation?
- Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease.
- As per the WHO, approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year globally because of intake of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids.
- The WHO has also called for global elimination of trans fats by 2023.
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Fortified rice in PDS
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fortified rice, Biofortification, ICDS
Mains level: Food fortification and associated issues
As the Odisha government is preparing to launch fortified rice in the Public Distribution System (PDS), some 100 activists have opposed the move.
Q.What is Fortification of Food? Discuss its various advantages and limitations.
What is Fortified Rice?
- Rice can be fortified by adding a micronutrient powder to the rice that adheres to the grains or spraying of the surface of ordinary rice grains with a vitamin and mineral mix to form a protective coating.
- Rice can also be extruded and shaped into partially precooked grain-like structures resembling rice grains, which can then be blended with natural polished rice.
- Rice kernels can be fortified with several micro-nutrients, such as iron, folic acid and other B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and zinc.
- These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a 1:100 ratio, and distributed for consumption.
Its advantage
- Fortified staple foods will contain natural or near natural levels of micro-nutrients, which may not necessarily be the case with supplements.
- It provides nutrition without any change in characteristics of food or course of our meals.
- If consumed on a regular and frequent basis, fortified foods will maintain body stores of nutrients more efficiently and more effectively than will intermittent supplements.
- The overall costs of fortification are extremely low; the price increase is approximately 1 to 2 per cent of the total food value.
Issues with fortified food
- Fortification and enrichment upsets nature’s packaging. Our body does not absorb individual nutrients added to processed foods as efficiently compared to nutrients naturally occurring.
- Supplements added to foods are less bioavailable. Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient your body is able to absorb and use.
- They lack immune-boosting substances.
- Fortified foods and supplements can pose specific risks for people who are taking prescription medications, including decreased absorption of other micro-nutrients, treatment failure, and increased mortality risk.
Why did the activists protest?
- Vitamin C and calcium are available in abundance in natural food. Vitamin C is water soluble.
- If the rice is laced with Vitamin C, it will get washed away while the rice is cleaned before cooking.
- It is a futile exercise to add Vitamin C to uncooked rice.
- In our traditional cooking practices, lemon juice is squeezed into cooked food before its consumption.
- The decision would lead to wasteful expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
Note: Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology. It differs from conventional fortification in that Biofortification aims to increase nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than through manual means during the processing of the crops.
Regulating fortification
- FSSAI has formulated a comprehensive regulation on fortification of foods namely ‘Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016’.
- These regulations set the standards for food fortification and encourage the production, manufacture, distribution, sale and consumption of fortified foods.
- The regulations also provide for the specific role of FSSAI in promotion for food fortification and to make fortification mandatory.
- WHO recommends fortification of rice with iron, vitamin A and folic acid as a public health strategy to improve the iron status of population wherever rice is a staple food.
Why it is necessary ?
- Reaching target populations
- Avoiding over-consumption in non-target groups
- Monitoring nutritional status
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FSSAI Food Safety Index for 2019-20
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FSSAI, Food Safety Index
Mains level: Food safety initiaitives in India
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently released its Food Safety report for 2019-20.
Food safety has been in news this year quite frequent. Do make a note of following – Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Red Octagon, Eat Right Movement, Food Safety Mitra etc.
The Food Safety Index
- The index ranks states on five parameters of food safety: human resources and institutional data, compliance, food testing facility, training and capacity building besides consumer empowerment.
- This is the second index on food safety, which FSSAI released on the occasion of World Food Safety Day with the theme “Food Safety is everyone’s business”.
- It was dedicated to those in the supply chain who have ensured the uninterrupted availability of safe food during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights of the report
- Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have topped an index that ranked states ensuring food safety in 2019-20.
- Among the smaller states, Goa came first followed by Manipur and Meghalaya.
- Among UTs, Chandigarh, Delhi and the Andaman Islands secured top ranks.
Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
- It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
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Spirulina Groundnut Chikki to boost immunity
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Spirulina Groundnut Chikki
Mains level: NA
The Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute, CFTRI has developed Spirulina groundnut Chikki that can provide micro-nutrients and boost the immunity of people during this time of the pandemic.
Beware, the Chikki so mentioned has no GI tag. What makes it significant is the Spirulina, a photosynthetic bacteria, which is suitable for human consumption.
Spirulina Groundnut Chikki
- It is a snack that provides good micro-nutrients.
- It has used Spirulina as well as the tasty, nourishing groundnuts to prepare Chikki that is rich in micro-nutrients such as Vitamin A, Beta Carotene and easily digestible algal proteins.
- Other nutritious snacks of CFTRI such as Nutri mango fruit bar and cardamom flavoured water is also part of the food items supplied to the migrant labourers.
- The mango bar is rich with carbohydrates, carotene, Vitamin C and Zinc to improve the immunity.
- Cardamom flavoured water with traditional herbs to have immune booster qualities.
What is Spirulina?
- Spirulina is an organism that grows in both fresh and saltwater.
- It is a type of cyanobacteria, which is a family of single-celled microbes that are often referred to as blue-green algae.
- It is used as a dietary supplement or whole food. It is also used as a feed supplement in the aquaculture, aquarium, and poultry industries.
- Just like plants, cyanobacteria can produce energy from sunlight via a process called photosynthesis.
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[pib] Regulating Content of Trans-Fat in Oils and Fats
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Trans-Fat
Mains level: Trans-Fat related health hazards
The limit of trans-fats to be not more than 5% is prescribed under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 for vanaspati, bakery shortenings, bakery and industrial margarine and interesterified vegetable fats/oils.
What are Trans Fats?
- Artificial Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.
- Since they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time, and give foods a desirable taste and texture, they are still widely used despite their harmful effects being well-known.
Why this move?
- Studies have recently shown that 60,000 deaths occur every year due to cardiovascular diseases, which in turn are caused due to high consumption of trans fats.
- Since the impact of trans fats on human health is increasing exponentially, it is very important to create awareness about them.
Standards for Trans-fats
- A draft notification to limit trans-fat to be not more than 2% by weight of the total oils/fats present in the processed food products in which edible oils and fats are used as an ingredient on and from 1st January, 2022 was issued on 28.08.2019.
- Standards prescribed under various regulations of FSSAI are enforced to check that they comply with the standards laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the rules and regulations made thereunder.
- In cases where the food samples are found to be non-conforming, recourse is taken to penal provisions under Chapter IX of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
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[pib] Network for Scientific Co-operation for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (NetSCoFAN)
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NetSCoFAN
Mains level: Not Much
Union Health Minister has launched NetSCoFAN, a network of research & academic institutions working in the area of food & nutrition.
NetSCoFAN
- The NetSCoFAN would comprise of eight groups of institutions working in different areas viz. biological, chemical, nutrition & labelling, food of animal origin, food of plant origin, water & beverages, food testing, and safer & sustainable packaging.
- FSSAI has identified eight Nodal Institutions who would develop a ‘Ready Reckoner’ that will have inventory of all research work, experts and institutions and would carry out and facilitate research, survey and related activities.
- It would identify research gaps in respective areas and collect, collate and develop database on food safety issues for risk assessment activities.
- The need for identify research gaps in respective areas and collect, collate and develop database on food safety issues for risk assessment activities, will be addressed by NetSCoFAN.
- The NetSCoFAN directory would be covering detailed information of various heads/Directors and lead scientists of lead and associated partnering institutions.
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Food Safety Regulations in India and the Way Forward
From junk food bans to street food regulations, FSSAI has been in news all the year round and most notoriously for the Maggie ban! UPSC does not necessarily goes for the most hot topic in news which is the Maggie ban in this context but this whole episode opens up a hitherto unknown organisation to us – The FSSAI.
And what must a worthy IAS aspirant do? Study the ins and outs of this organisation – food safety regulations – its latest victories and controversies! And that’s not it, one more reason which makes this topic important is the declaration of the World Health Day’s 2015 theme – Food Safety.
So, what all have been the cases of FSSAI activism this year? For starters, these guys banned junk food in Delhi school canteens!
- Acting on a public interest writ petition, the Delhi HC had earlier directed FSSAI to regulate sale of foods high in salt, fats and sugar in and around 50 metres of schools.
- Court also directed CBSE to consider including the adherence to these guidelines while giving affiliation to the schools.
- The draft guidelines suggested creation of a canteen policy and education program to inform students and parents of link between ‘High in fats, salt & sugar’ (HFSS) foods and non-communicable diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes etc.
But what was the need to do this? Glad you wondered!
A study published in the noted medical journal Lancet says India is just behind US and China in this global hazard list of top 10 countries with highest number of obese people.
Fair enough, what about the street food that we devour?
This is where CSE came in and presented a case for regulation on the street food. They want the agencies to:
- Strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS) .
- Improve food testing laboratory infrastructure and skills.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should set maximum residual limits for antibiotic residues in chicken etc.
- Set a national level disease surveillance and public alert system.
All this is well and fine but you probably still want to know what happened with the Maggi case? More particularly, what was the issue with MSG (Ajinomoto)!
Here’s all that we could find on the MSG/ Ajinimoto issue. UPSC Might not ask a direct question but can probably check you on a quick objective (IAS 2016) or you can use this as a quick criticism point on FSSAI’s propensity to escalate issues!
Some major criticisms that came in the way of FSSAI:
- It is time we wake up and work on a science-based approach and move forward rapidly.
- If we have periodical evaluation in aviation for pilots, why not for analysts who test our food?
- Ideally, scientists should be involved in monitoring at every stage, including sampling protocols, setting standards, and testing and simulation.
- The state labs are short of analytical personnel and ill-equipped to perform to capacity as compared to private labs which are approved by FSSAI.
Published with inputs from Sumer.