FSSAI operationalises amended micronutrients limits in premix for fortified rice kernels

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to operationalise draft amendment regulations regarding standards of vitamin and mineral premix used for manufacturing fortified rice kernels (FRKs).

Details:

These amendment regulations define limits for the addition of micronutrients per 100 grams in vitamin and mineral premix used to make FRKs.
- Fortified rice kernels are either coated rice kernels or extruded rice-shaped kernels prepared with a premix of vitamins and kernels.
The amendment regulations will strengthen the national fortification programme.
FSSAI has also released guidelines for the sampling of fortified rice kernels (FRK)fortified rice (FR) and vitamin-mineral premix (VMP) for FRK.
- The prescribed method of sampling is designed to ensure that fair and valid sampling procedures are used when FRK, FR and VMP for FRK are being tested for compliance with a particular commodity standard.

Prescribed limits:

Fortified Rice Programme:

Central government initiative.
It aims to supply fortified rice in all States and Union Territories through a targeted public distribution system by 2024 in a phased manner.

Rice Fortification:

Fortification of rice is done to increase essential micronutrients like iron, zinc, and Vitamin A in the rice.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) 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 benefits with minimal risk to health”.
The cooking of fortified rice does not require any special procedure.
After cooking, fortified rice retains the same physical properties and micronutrient levels as it had before cooking.
Fortified rice will be packed in jute bags with the logo (‘+F’) and the line “Fortified with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12”.
Various technologies are available to add micronutrients to regular rice, such as coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’.
The Extrusion technique involves the production of fortified rice kernels (FRKs) from a mixture using an ‘extruder’ machine.
The fortified rice kernels are blended with regular rice to produce fortified rice.

Source of this article: TH Businessline