Rice Fortification

Rice Fortfication is well targeted food vehicle to reduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies, since rice is the major staple food for more than 70 percent of the Indian population (7). The people of rice eating states consume 260 grams of rice per day. It meets 31 percent of the population’s total energy intake and is a source of income and employment to more than 100 million farming families in rural India.

Rice also constitutes a significant percentage of the grains distributed and cooked under the government social security nets. Fortified rice, if provided through delivery channels that ensure maximum coverage like the MDM or ICDS, can reach every family under the scheme and is a viable way to plug the nutritional gap. Rice fortification with Iron for addressing the incidence of anaemia, beri beri and neural tube defects, along with haemoglobin levels.

Fortification of rice makes it more nutritious by adding vitamins and minerals, many of which are lost during the milling and polishing process. Rice can be fortified using dusting, coating or extrusion technology