Fortified foods in India

Fortification is the practice of intentionally increasing the content of one or more micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in a food or condiment, in order to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health. To promote fortified products and help consumers distinguish them from regular ones, FSSAI has developed the "+F" logo: the square stands for completeness, the plus sign for adding extra nutrition, and the ring for good health and protection for an active and healthy life.

The case for fortification in India rests on the scale of micronutrient deficiency. More than 70% of India's population still consumes less than 50% of the RDA for micronutrients, and India accounts for one-third of the approximately two billion people worldwide who are deficient in vitamins and micronutrients. The country carries a very high burden of malnutrition caused by micronutrient deficiencies.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) records that 58.4% of children aged 6-59 months are anaemic, 53.1% of women in the reproductive age group are anaemic, and 35.7% of children under 5 are underweight.

The staple vehicles used for fortification in India are milk and edible oil, fortified with Vitamins A and D; wheat flour and rice, fortified with iron, Vitamin B12 and folic acid; and double fortified salt, carrying iodine and iron. For a processor, the choice of vehicle and nutrient premix determines how the fortification step is dosed, blended and verified within the existing production line.