Govt dispels health concerns on fortified rice consumption

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, June 13

Amid concerns over “health risks” in indigenous population due to the consumption of fortified rice, the Centre today said “benefits of rice fortification far outweigh the harmful effects”.

0.01% may face risk

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Only 0.01% of population may face health risk due to consumption of fortified rice, particularly those ailing with thalassemia major. Experts

What is fortified rice

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India 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”..

Benefits

Fortified rice helps in preventing Cretinism, Goiter, IIH (Thyrotoxicosis), brain damage, and is a cost-effective and sustainable option

Experts, meanwhile, insisted that “only 0.01 per cent” of population may actually face any problem, “particularly those ailing with Thalassemia Major”.

A comprehensive concurrent evaluation mechanism has been put in place. All states have set up a steering committee headed by the Chief Secretary to review the distribution, the Centre said. “The state medical department and ground functionaries are generally aware of pockets where and what kind of diseases are prevalent,” Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey told the media while briefing on the progress of Phase-II distribution to high-burden districts from April 1.

In his presentation, Dr Kapil Yadav from AIIMS Centre for Community Medicine called food fortification “a cost-effective complementary strategy to address multiple micronutrient deficiency”. “Only 0.01% of the population may face health risk due to consumption of fortified rice, particularly those ailing with Thalassemia Major,” he said.

“Fortified rice helps in preventing Cretinism, Goiter, IIH (Thyrotoxicosis), brain damage, improvement in foetal and neonatal health and improvement in productivity of population. “Therefore, the benefits of rice fortification intervention far outweigh the risks involved,” Dr Yadav said.