• An NGO has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing mandatory fortification of foods on the ground that some micronutrients are sourced from animals.

Food Fortification:

• Food fortification is the process of adding micronutrients such as essential trace elements and vitamins to a food item. It is done to improve the nutritive values of the food. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing.

Advantages:

• Fortification is one of the most cost-effective strategies that can be implemented on a larger scale since the cost of fortification is generally less than other techniques to address nutrition deficiencies.
• Fortified foods are considered to be better at lowering the risk of multiple deficiencies that can result from seasonal deficits in the food supply or a poor-quality diet.
• Fortification does not require any behaviour modification or compliance that is expected in supplementation. It does not require a change in the individuals food habits and consumption pattern.
• The quantity of micronutrients added to the food product is small and well regulated, and so the likelihood of an overdose of nutrients is unlikely.
• Fortification is planned in such a way that the intrinsic characteristics of the food are not altered, such as the taste, the appearance and the texture.
• The food fortification process can be initiated quickly after formulating a set of regulations and standards. This means that the objective of improving the health of needy communities can be attained in a short period of time. There is a body in place called

Limitations of Food Fortification:

• A fortified food product is rich in a particular micronutrient but in low-income countries people may often suffer from multiple micronutrient deficiencies and hence they may not benefit by consuming a fortified product rich in a particular micronutrient.
• Individuals in the community who cannot afford to buy the staples or are dependent on government’s PDS system for their staples may not get benefitted via normal food fortification plans. For such populations, fortified staples must be circulated to them via the PDS system.
• Fortified foods have some added micronutrients. Many researchers believe that dietary diversity is a better approach to attain the nutrient requirements in a natural manner.
• There are technological issues relating to food fortification, especially with regard to appropriate levels of nutrients, stability of fortificants, nutrient interactions, physical properties, as well as acceptability by consumers.
• More knowledge is required about the impact of interactions among nutrients. For example, the presence of large amounts of calcium can inhibit the absorption of iron from a fortified food; the presence of vitamin C has the opposite effect and increases iron absorption.
• While it is often more cost-effective than other strategies, there are nevertheless considerable costs associated with the food fortification process. These may range from start-up costs and the costs of conducting trials for micronutrient levels, physical qualities and taste, to a realistic analysis of the purchasing power of the probable beneficiaries.