Indians consuming rice and wheat low in food value, high in toxins: ICAR study
- January 24, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Indians consuming rice and wheat low in food value, high in toxins: ICAR study
Subject: S&T
Section: Biotechnology
Context:
- A recent study led by scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) suggests that the nutritional value of rice and wheat consumed in India has decreased.
Study findings:
- The study found that over the past 50 years, the concentration of essential nutrients like zinc and iron in rice and wheat has significantly decreased.
- This decline is attributed to the focus of breeding programs on developing high-yielding varieties for food security, without considering nutrient uptake from the soil.
- Consequently, modern cultivars are less efficient in absorbing nutrients like zinc and iron.
- The study, an extension of 2021 research, revealed that high-yielding rice and wheat varieties have lost up to 45% of their food value in the last five decades. This could lead to the grains becoming impoverished for human consumption by 2040. Additionally, the study found a dramatic increase in arsenic levels in rice.
- The research highlights the impact of the Green Revolution on India’s nutritional security.
- To address this issue, agricultural scientists are exploring landraces and wild species of cultivated varieties.
- The Indian government has launched a bio-fortification project, and ICAR institutes have developed 142 bio-fortified varieties. However, these varieties are not yet widely popularized or adopted by farmers.
What is biofortification?
- Biofortification is the process of increasing the nutritional value of food crops by increasing the density of vitamins and minerals in a crop through either conventional plant breeding; agronomic practices or biotechnology. Examples of these vitamins and minerals that can be increased through biofortification include provitamin A Carotenoids, zinc and iron.
How does Biofortification differ from food fortification?
- Biofortification has the increased nutritional micronutrient content imbedded in the crop being grown. Food fortification increases the nutritional value of foods by adding trace amounts of micronutrients to foods during processing.
Source: DTE