5-Aug-2022: Major initiatives under National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP)

The Government is implementing the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) with the goal of making India leprosy free. NLEP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the umbrella of National Health Mission (NHM). This programme is implemented in all the States/UTs.

The major focus of the Programme is to detect the cases of leprosy at an early stage and to provide complete treatment, free of cost, in order to prevent the occurrence of disability.

Major initiatives under NLEP are as follows:

1. Leprosy Case Detections Campaign (LCDC) in high endemic districts.
2. Focused Leprosy Campaign (FLC) in low endemic districts for case detection.
3. Special plans for Hard-to-Reach areas for early case detection and treatment.
4. ASHA Based Surveillance for Leprosy Suspects (ABSULS).
5. Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign on 30th January every year.
6. Active Case Detection and Surveillance both in rural and urban areas.
7. Convergence of leprosy screening under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) for screening of children (0-18 years) and under Ayushman Bharat for screening of people above 30 years of age.
8. Monitoring of the programme by Joint Monitoring Investigation and Advisory Group (JMIAG).
9. Certificate, award and performance linked financial incentive are given to the districts for achieving leprosy elimination.
10. Contact tracing is done and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) with Single dose of Rifampicin (SDR) given to the eligible contacts of index case in order to interrupt the chain of transmission.

Further, 12 packs of MDT (Multi Drug Therapy) blister packs are given to Multi Bacillary Leprosy cases as per the Standard Treatment Protocol.

India has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem as per WHO criteria of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at the National level in 2005. However, there are few districts within States where leprosy is still endemic.

As per Monthly Progress Report of Central Leprosy Division, Directorate General of Health Services (as on 31st May 2022), 72,914 leprosy patients, as informed by the States/UTs, are under treatment in the country.

3-Aug-2022: Distribution of Fortified Rice

The Government has approved the supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and in Other Welfare Schemes of Government of India in all States and Union Territories (UTs) in a phased manner.

Under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (erstwhile Integrated Child Development Scheme), allocation of Fortified Rice began during the second quarter of FY 2021-22 and from the third quarter onwards of FY 2021-22, 100% fortified rice was allocated to all the States/UTs. Consequently, 731962 MTs of Fortified Rice had been allocated to all the States/UTs during FY 2021-22 and 634079 MTs of Fortified Rice had been allocated to the all the States/UTs during FY 2022-23(upto second quarter only).

Under PM POSHAN Scheme (erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme), as per the information received from various States/UTs /FCI, 7,97,793.12 MTs of fortified rice has been lifted during the FY 2021-22.

The Pilot Scheme served as a platform which paved the way towards establishing structures for ecosystem and to further consolidate it for scaling up the distribution of fortified rice under Targeted Public Distribution System(TPDS), Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (erstwhile ICDS), PM- POSHAN and Other Welfare Scheme(OWS) in all States/UTs. A total quantity of approx. 4.30 LMT of fortified rice was distributed in 11 States under the Pilot Scheme on 'Fortification of rice and its distribution under Public Distribution System'.

Despite constraints due to COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021, the pilot program was successful in ensuring the ecosystem for fortified rice throughout the country. Already nearly 142 LMT of fortified rice has been procured by FCI and State Agencies for distribution in earmarked districts.

27-Jul-2022: Centre to supply fortified rice throughout the country by 2024 with the help of Central Schemes like Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS)

The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ms. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today informed that the Government has approved supply of fortified rice across Government Schemes like Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) throughout the country by 2024. 

The Food Safety Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018 specifies standards of fortification of milk, edible oil, wheat flour, rice and double fortified salt.

Fortified rice distributed under Government Schemes is available for beneficiaries at the same rate as that of non-fortified rice.

As reported by FSSAI, a Food Business Operator producing fortified staples has to apply for +F endorsement on FoSCoS portal of FSSAI and get approval. The number of active manufacturers, producing fortified rice, milk and edible oil are:

Dairy Processing Units:-

Milk- 117

Milk Powder- 35

Edible Oil Unit :- 189

Rice Units :- 4530

At present, the fortification of Milk and Oil is voluntary in the country. Every package of fortified food shall carry the words “fortified with ---------- (name of the fortificant)” and the logo, specified in Schedule- II of The Food Safety Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018, on its label. It may also carry a tag line “Sampoorna Poshan Swasth Jeevan” under the logo.

Standards for fortified staples

 Fortified Rice:  when fortified, must contain added Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 at the levels given in the table below:

S. No.	Nutrient	Level of Fortification per Kg
	Iron - (a) Ferric pyrophosphate	28 mg - 42.5 mg*
	(b) Sodium Iron (III) Ethylene diamine tetra Acetate, Trihydrate (Sodium Feredetate-Na Fe EDTA)	14 mg - 21.25 mg
	Folic acid - Folic acid;	75 µg - 125 µg
	Vitamin B12- cyanocobalamin or hydroxocobalamin;	0.75 µg - 1.25 µg

*Note: added at a higher level to account for less bioavailability

In addition, rice may also be fortified with following micronutrients, singly or in combination, at the level given in the table below:

S. No.	Nutrient	Level of Fortification per kg
1.	Zinc - Zinc Oxide	10 mg - 15 mg
2.	Vitamin A- RetinylPalmitate;	500 μg RE - 750 µg RE
3.	Thiamine (Vitamin B1)- Thiamine hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate;	1 mg - 1.5 mg
4.	Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)- Riboflavin or Riboflavin 5’-phosphate sodium	1.25 mg - 1.75 mg
5.	Niacin (Vitamin B3) - Nicotinamide or Nicotinic acid	12.5 mg - 20 mg
6.	Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)-Pyridoxine hydrochloride;	mg - 2.5 mg

Fortified Milk

S. No.	Nutrients	Level of nutrient per litre of Species identified milk (namely buffalo milk, cow milk, goat milk, sheep milk and camel milk)/ full cream milk/toned milk/double toned milk/skimmed milk/standardized milk)	Nutrient Source
1.	Vitamin A (µg RE)	270 – 450	Retinyl acetate or Retinylpalmitate
2.	Vitamin D (µg)	5-7.5	*Cholecalciferol or*Ergocalciferol (*Only from Plant source)

Note: Vitamin A (retinol): 1 IU= 0.3 µg RE (Retinol Equivalent); Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol or Ergocalciferol): 1 IU= 0.025 µg

Fortified Edible Oil

S. No.	Nutrients	Level of nutrient per gram of oil	Nutrient Source
1.	Vitamin A (µg RE)	6-9.9	Retinyl acetate or Retinylpalmitate
2.	Vitamin D (µg)	0.11-0.16	*Cholecalciferol or*Ergocalciferol (*Only from Plant source)

Note: Vitamin A (retinol): 1 IU= 0.3 µg RE (Retinol Equivalent); Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol or Ergocalciferol): 1 IU= 0.025 µg

13-Jun-2022: 90 LMT of the 175 LMT fortified rice required this year already produced for distribution till now under the rice-fortification programme, Sudhanshu Pandey, Union Food Secretary

The government is planning to cover 291 districts by March 2023 aspirational and heavy burden districts under the rice fortification programme. Briefing the media in New Delhi today, Shri Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, said under the Phase II of the ‘distribution of Fortified Rice through Public Distribution System (PDS)’, which began in April 2022, overcoming all production related challenges, 90 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes) of fortified rice has already been produced.  The Phase II of the programme which includes Phase I plus TPDS (Targeted Public Distribution System) and OWS (Other Welfare Schemes) in all Aspirational and High Burden Districts, a total of 291 districts, will be covered by March 2023.

The Secretary informed that under Phase I covered ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) and PM POSHAN in India all over by March, 2022 and nearly 17 Lakh MT of fortified rice was distributed. However, Under PDS, more than 90 Districts (in 16 States) have started lifting of fortified rice and around 2.58 Lakh MT have been distributed so far.

Shri Pandey also said that independent concurrent evaluation would be carried out by the Development Monitoring & Evaluation Office (DMEO) under NITI Aayog of the rice fortification to assess the outcomes and impact of the programme. He added that Steering Committee in the States will monitor the implementation of the programme.

As part of vigorous implementation efforts, the Department of Food and Public Distribution has been coordinating all ecosystem related activities with all relevant stakeholders like State Govt./UT, line Ministries/Department, Development Partners, Industries, Research Institutes etc. The FCI and State Agencies are engaged in procurement of fortified rice and so far, nearly 126.25 LMT of fortified rice has been procured for the supply and distribution. The entire cost of rice fortification (around Rs. 2700 Cr. per annum) would be only borne by the Govt. of India as part of food subsidy till its full implementation upto June, 2024.

The Joint Secretary DFPD, Shri S. Jagannathan made a presentation on ‘Rice Fortification and its distribution under PDS, ICDS, PM POSHAN etc.’. He outlined the process of distribution of fortified rice and also highlighted that the Phase I served as a platform to put in place an ecosystem for districts for the scheme. In Phase III, along with districts covered under Phase II, remaining districts will be covered by March 2024.

Dr. Kapil Yadav, Additional Professor, Centre for Community Medicine (CCM)  All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, also made a presentation on ‘Staple Food Fortification as a Complementary Strategy to Address Micronutrient Vulnerability’. He said that Food Fortification is a cost-effective Complementary Strategy to address multiple micronutrient deficiency. Dr. Yadav pointed that only 0.01% of population may face health risk due to consumption of fortified rice, particularly those ailing with Thalassemia Major. He added that fortified rice helps preventing Cretinism, Goiter, IIH (Thyrotoxicosis), Brain damage, improvement in Foetal & Neonatal Health and improvement in Productivity of Population. Therefore, the benefits of rice-fortification intervention far outweigh the risks involved.

Globally, more than 2 billion population have Multiple Micronutrient Deficiencies, 1.6 billion people have anemia, more than 50% have iron deficiency, 260,100 pregnancies every year affected by Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) and the multiple micronutrient deficiencies are important cause of mortality, morbidity, impaired human development.

Dr. Siddharth Waghulkar, Deputy Head- Nutrition and School Feeding unit, United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP) in his presentation on ‘Rice Fortification: Process and Evidence’ briefed about the fortification process and the evidence from various Indian studies.

Earlier, Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on “Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System” was implemented for a period of 3 years beginning from 2019-20. Eleven (11) States successfully distributed the fortified rice in their identified districts (1district per state) under the pilot scheme. The pilot scheme has been over on 31.03.2022 and nearly 4.30 Lakh MT of fortified rice had been distributed.

In pursuance of the Hon’ble PM’s announcement to provide nutritional security, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) has accorded its approval for supply of fortified rice 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) of Government of India in all States and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.

20-May-2022: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued to maintain desired quality standards for implementation of ‘Rice Fortification’

The Department of Food and Public Distribution is working tirelessly to ensure implementation of ‘Rice Fortification’ to address malnutrition, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies.

The storage and research division of the department, is also overseeing the quality standards of finished product from procurement to its distribution through various social security programmes as well as self-declared quality certification from the end of FRK (Fortified Rice Kernels) manufacturers/millers etc. For smooth implementation of entire programme/to maintain the desired quality standards under domestic supply chain, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has also been formulated and issued by the Department in March, 2022.

In order to maintain the desired quality standards of Fortified Rice Kernels and Fortified Rice, the SOP clearly narrates the level-wise role & responsibilities of various stakeholders engaged under the ambitious scheme from FRK manufacturing to its distribution to the eligible beneficiaries.

And while the role and responsibilities of various stakeholders are defined by the Department, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is also playing a vital role in the entire programme.

Initially FSSAI, notified the standards for fortified food including rice also via Food Safety Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulation, 2018, Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 etc.

FSSAI, empanelled the FRK (Fortified Rice Kernels) manufacturers/licensed them, developed various quality certification standards/guidelines for packaging and stenciling of finished product, guidelines on sampling, Technical hand out on Fortification of Rice etc.  for various operational accomplishment.  FSSAI is also mapping the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited labs under the states which may test the various quality parameters of FRK/FR.

Promotional and regularity roles are also undertaken by the FSSAI’s Food Safety Officer (FSO). These officers are picking random samples from the mill and from fair price shops to ensure the quality of fortified rice (such that it covers all the shops and mills under his/her supervision in a quarter). Food Fortification Resource Centre (FFRC) a unit of FSSAI, which is functioning as a resource hub for fortification will provide any kind of assistance to the Food Business Operators (FBO), Millers, States, FCI etc/facilitate training & capacity building (FBO’s, rice millers, FPS owners, FSO’s etc.) and monitor & evaluate the programme with support from development partners.

FSSAI is a resource hub which provides information and inputs on standards and food safety, technology and processes, premix and equipment procurement and manufacture, quality assurance and quality control for fortified rice.

Rice fortification, a process of adding micronutrients like Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12, is an effective, preventive and cost-efficient complementary strategy to address the challenge of anaemia.  There are various studies from the global as well as Indian context, including pilot projects, which have proven the efficacy of fortified rice as an effective intervention to address anaemia.

In an ambitious attempt to combat the serious problem of anaemia due to malnutrition, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji made an announcement on 75th Independence Day (15th August, 2021) to mandate rice fortification in all social safety net schemes by 2024. It needs to be highlighted that dietary diversification & higher reliance on fruits & vegetables is another source of micro-nutrients but not always possible to afford by a large section of population. The Centre has been making efforts for creating various awareness programmes in different areas of country about the benefits of consuming fortified rice.  State Goverments have been suitably advised to sensitize the people of their State about the myths and misconceptions about fortified rice. Multiple states across the country have been effectively implementing fortified rice distribution through the public distribution system since the launch of the Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme for distribution of fortified rice thorough PDS, without any major challenges. Moreover, due to lack of awareness, however, fortified rice and its benefits are not understood properly.

With regard to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulation on packaging material, procuring agencies like Food Corporation of India (FCI)/State Agencies, as the case may be strictly follows the guidelines of FSSAI and bags are imprinted with the +F logo and message “People with Thalassemia may take fortified rice under medical supervision.”

Fortification is the process of increasing the content of essential micronutrients i.e. Vitamins and Minerals (including trace elements) to food so as to improve its nutritional quality and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health. Food fortification is regarded as one of the top-three priorities for developing countries as per the Copenhagen Consensus Statement, 2008. Fortified foods are in fact not new to India. In India, consumption of Iodized Salt, also a type of fortified food, has led to the reduction in prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorders and diseases such as Goitre.  Rice fortification is also a viable preventive and complementary intervention to solve the problem of anaemia in a short period of span.

8-Apr-2022: Cabinet approves distribution of fortified rice across Government Schemes

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today has accorded its approval for supply of fortified rice 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) of Government of India in all States and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.

The entire cost of rice fortification (around Rs. 2,700 crore per annum) would be borne by the Govt. of India as part of food subsidy till its full implementation upto June, 2024.

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.

As part of vigorous implementation efforts, the Department of Food and Public distribution has been coordinating all ecosystem related activities with all relevant stakeholders like State Government / UT, line Ministries/Department, Development Partners, Industries, Research Institutes etc. The FCI and State Agencies are already engaged in procurement of fortified rice and so far nearly 88.65 LMT of fortified rice has been procured for the supply and distribution.

Hon'ble Prime Minister of India in his address on the 75th Independence Day (15th August, 2021) made an announcement on Fortification of Rice so as to provide nutrition to every poor person of the country to overcome malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in women, children, lactating mothers etc. as it poses major obstacles in their development.

Earlier, the Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on "Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System" was implemented for a period of 3 years beginning from 2019-20. Eleven (11) States- Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand successfully distributed the fortified rice in their identified districts (one district per State) under the pilot scheme.

11-Feb-2022: 11 States reports distribution of fortified rice in identified districts under the pilot scheme on "Fortification of Rice & its Distribution under Public Distribution System"

The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today informed that the Government of India approved the Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on "Fortification of Rice & its Distribution under Public Distribution System" for a period of 3 years beginning in 2019-20 with total outlay of Rs. 174.64 Cr. The Pilot Scheme focuses on 15 districts across 15 states, preferably 1 district per State. Out of 15 States which consented for the Pilot Scheme, so far eleven (11) States namely Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have reported distribution of fortified rice in their identified districts under the pilot scheme. So far 3.64 Lakh Metric Ton (LMT) of fortified rice has been distributed under the Pilot Scheme.

The incremental cost @ 73 paise per Kg is uniformly reimbursed by the States/UTs to the Millers for production of fortified rice and shared between the Centre and the States/UTs in the ratio of 90:10 in case of North–East, Hilly and Island States/UTs and 75:25 in case of rest of the States.

3-Nov-2020: 15 States have been identified for implementing Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on Fortification of Rice & its distribution through Public Distribution System

To initiate the process of taking the country towards nutritional security, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) has been running a “Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on Fortification of Rice & its distribution through Public Distribution System”. The Pilot Scheme has been approved for a period of three years beginning 2019-2020 with a total budget outlay of Rs.174.6 Crore. Fifteen State Governments have identified their respective districts (1 district per state) for implementing the Pilot Scheme. Already 5 states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh have started the distribution of fortified rice in their respective identified districts.

In this connection, the Union Minister for Food & Consumer Affairs, Railways, Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal in his review meeting held on 31.10.2020, laid the emphasis on scaling up of the distribution of fortified rice in the country. A further meeting was also chaired by the Secretary, DFPD, on 02.11.2020, in which the FCI has been asked to come up with a comprehensive plan for procurement and distribution of fortified rice in all the Districts of the country under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) & Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme from 2021-2022. Special focus would be placed on supplying fortified rice to the 112 specially identified Aspirational Districts of the country.

In this regard, CEO, NITI Aayog also discussed the progress and way ahead to scale up the rice fortification scheme with Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, CEO, FSSAI and other stakeholders, like Tata Trust, World Food Programme, PATH, Nutrition International etc. today. The supply chain and other logistic requirements to scale up the scheme of "Rice fortification and its distribution" to cover the Integrated Child Development Scheme /Mid-Day Meal scheme in Aspirational districts in the country at the first instance was discussed.

For realising the above goal, there is a need to scale up supply of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), whose availability is currently is at a meagre quantity of 15,000 MT per annum. Covering 112 Aspirational Districts for PDS, ICDS and MDM would mean requirement of nearly 130 Lakh MT of Fortified Rice, for which FRK supply capacity in the country needs to go up to nearly 1.3 Lakh MT.  If the entire PDS (NFSA) rice supply which is of the order of about 350 Lakh MT is to be fortified, then there has to be an uninterrupted supply pipeline of FRK from the industry of the order of about 3.5 Lakh MT.

Further, there are nearly 28,000 Rice Mills in the country which need to be equipped with Blending Machines etc. for mixing of FRK with normal rice. FCI has been asked to tie up with the rice mills in different regions for necessary investments in this regard.  The operational readiness of the FCI would help in successful scaling up of procurement and supply of fortified rice in a phased manner from 2021-2022 onwards.

23-Aug-2019: NITI Aayog seeks roadmap creation for rice fortification scheme

The Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar recently met the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi.

The Vice Chairman discussed the ongoing Rice Fortification Pilot Scheme and the various implementation issues with the Union Minister Paswan and senior officials of the ministry. They also deliberated in depth on the various measures that can be taken to overcome these issues.

During the meeting it was decided that for effectively tackling the problem of Malnutrition in India, a roadmap will be charted out by the Department of Food and Public Distribution for taking the pilot scheme of Rice Fortification Pan India.

For this, all State Government departments and other stakeholders shall be consulted to enhance cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.

19-Jul-2019: Distribution of Nutritious Rice Under PDS

Government of India has approved the Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on “Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System” on 14.02.2019 - rice to be fortified with Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B-12. The Pilot Scheme has been approved for a period of three year beginning 2019-20.   The Pilot Scheme will focus on 15 districts preferably 1 district per State during the initial phase of implementation.

The operational responsibilities for implementation of the Pilot Scheme lie with the States/UTs. States/UTs have been requested to operationalize the blending of fortified rice and its distribution through PDS as early as possible. So far only nine State Governments i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam & Tamil Nadu have consented and identified their respective districts for implementation of the Pilot Scheme.

Fortification of rice

Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.

Rice is cultivated in many parts of the world, as it grows in diverse climates. Industrial fortification of rice with vitamins and minerals has been practiced for many years in several countries throughout the world, where rice is a staple consumed regularly in the preparation of many common local dishes. Micronutrient deficiencies of public health significance are widespread in most countries consuming high levels of rice; thus rice fortification has the potential to help aid vulnerable populations that are currently not reached by wheat or maize flour fortification programmes. However, rice production is often done domestically or locally which could make reaching all those in need with mass fortification programs challenging.

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 in several layers 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.

WHO recommendations

Fortification of rice with iron is recommended as a public health strategy to improve the iron status of populations, in settings where rice is a staple food.

Fortification of rice with vitamin A may be used as a public health strategy to improve the iron status and vitamin A nutrition of populations.

Fortification of rice with folic acid may be used as a public health strategy to improve the folate nutritional status of populations.

A staple food, or simply a staple, is a food that is consumed regularly and provides an important proportion of the energy (calories) and nutrient requirements. Its preparation is variable in different contexts and is closely linked to the most available foods in each setting.