Issues With Mandatory Food Fortification

In News

Recently, the group of scientists and activists has written to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to abort the plan to make synthetic/chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India. 

Background  

• In January 2021, the FSSAI had issued a draft regulation for mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D. 
• The FSSAI has also outlined its plan to make rice fortification mandatory from 2024 with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid in India. 

Recent Issues Highlighted 

• Irreversible infrastructural and market shifts:
  • Mandatory fortification will lead to irreversible infrastructural and market shifts, including consolidation of corporate power.
  • It would harm the vast informal economy of Indian farmers and food processors including local oil and rice mills.

• Serious economic impacts:
  • The FSSAI decision will have serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players such as small-time rice millers, cold-press oil mills, farmers and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required.
  • It would benefit a small group of multinational corporations who will have sway over a ?3,000 crore market.

• Harms the health of consumers:
  • Dietary diversity and higher protein consumption are key to solving undernutrition in India, rather than adding a few synthetic micronutrients which could harm the health of consumers.
    • Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation
    • Both anaemia and Vitamin A deficiencies are overdiagnosed, meaning that mandatory fortification could lead to hypervitaminosis.

• Conflicts of interest:
  • Many of the studies which FSSAI relies on to promote fortification are sponsored by food companies that would benefit from it, leading to conflicts of interest.

• Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out.

About Food fortification

• Food fortification is defined as the practice of adding vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods during processing to increase their nutritional value.
•  It is a proven, safe and cost-effective strategy for improving diets and for the prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies.
• In 2018, FSSAI had notified standards of fortification for five staple product categories — milk, edible oil, rice, flour and salt.
  •  It has also launched the ‘F+’ logo to be displayed on labels of fortified food products for easy identification by consumers.
• Steps in this direction : The government is implementing a pilot programme across 15 States for iron fortified rice under the public distribution system (PDS), following which, it is likely to decide on extending the programme nationwide.

                                                       Image Courtesy: TH

Advantages 

• Eliminate malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies.
• Provides extra nutrition at affordable costs.
• Safe: Fortification is a safe method of improving nutrition among people. The addition of micronutrients to food does not pose a health risk to people.
• Socio-culturally acceptable way: It does not require any changes in the food habits and patterns of people. It is a socio-culturally acceptable way to deliver nutrients to people.
  • It can be implemented quickly as well as show results in improvement of health in a relatively short period of time.
• Cost-effective: Food fortification is a cost-effective strategy to improve the nutrition status of populations and it is associated with high economic benefits.
  • It requires an initial investment to purchase both the equipment and the vitamin and mineral premix, but overall costs of fortification are extremely low.

Disadvantages 

• Low coverage :Only a handful of nutrients are added in the process of fortification. 
  • Other nutritional deficiencies remain untreated by the process.
• Fail to reach the poorest segments of society : Many times, fortified food products fail to reach the poorest segments of society, who are among the worst section affected with nutritional deficiencies.
  •  Low purchasing power and a weak distribution channel are responsible for this problem.
• Fortified foods could lead to a nutritional overdose.

Source :TH