Q. Why in News/Context -

A small study carried out in Sangli, Maharashtra on 43 women participants to evaluate the effectiveness of tea fortification with folate and vitamin B12 to address anaemia and prevent neural-tube defects in children is riddled with problems. (Source- The Hindu, April 29, 2023 )

Source - fssai.gov.in

Q. What is Food Fortification –

·     Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Vitamins A & D to staple foods such as rice, wheat, oil, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing or may have been lost during processing.

Q. Why do we Need Fortification of Food?

·     Deficiency of micronutrients or micronutrient malnutrition, also known as hidden hunger, is a serious health risk.

·        Due to lack of consumption of a balanced diet, lack of variety in the diet or unavailability of food, one does not get adequate micronutrients.

·        Often, there is considerable loss of nutrients during the processing of food as well.

·        India has a very high burden of micronutrient deficiencies caused by Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron and Folic Acid leading to Night Blindness, Goitre, Anaemia and various birth defects.

·        According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 58.4 percent of children (6-59 months) are anaemic, 53.1 percent women in the reproductive age group are anaemic, 35.7 percent of children under 5 are underweight

Q. What are the Benefits of Fortification?

 ·  Food Fortification has a high benefit-to-cost ratio. The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every 1 Rupee spent on fortification results in 9 Rupees in benefits to the economy. It requires an initial investment to purchase both the equipment and the vitamin and mineral premix, but the overall costs of fortification are extremely low.

Following are the various benefits of fortification of foods:

1.   Nutrients are added to staple foods since they are widely consumed. Thus, this is an excellent method to improve the health of a large section of the population, all at once.

2.   It is a safe method of improving nutrition among people. The addition of micronutrients to food does not pose a health risk to people. The quantity added is small and well under the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) and are well regulated as per prescribed standards for safe consumption.

3.   It is a cost-effective intervention and does not require any changes in eating patterns or food habits of people. It is a socio-culturally acceptable way to deliver nutrients to people.

4.   It does not alter the characteristics of the food like the taste, aroma or the texture of the food.

Q. Tea Fortification:

·      The majority of Indian women have a poor dietary folate and vitamin B12 intake resulting in their chronically low vitamin status, which contributes to anaemia and the high incidence of folate-responsive neural-tube defects (NTDs) in India.

·        Tea is the second most common beverage worldwide (after water)-is consumed by most Indians every day, and appeared an ideal vehicle for fortification with folate and vitamin B12, 

·  Tea is cheap and is largely grown and processed in the highlands of only 4 states: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. A single daily cup might therefore provide an ideal vehicle for fortification with these water-soluble vitamins.

·  Tea has the potential to help eliminate haematological and neurological complications arising from inadequate dietary consumption or absorption of folate and vitamin B12.