Food Fortification: Strategic Launch Pad towards Achieving Sustainable Nutritional Security

Abstract

The surge in demography within fixed areas of agricultural land despite modern cultivation practices, application of fertilizer and adequate soil management have increased food production. But after the 1980s the quantum of demand could not be fulfilled with lagging in micronutrient content. Latent hunger is the challenge encountered causing hunger death, the suffering of vulnerable groups from anaemia, and physical/ mental growth. Silent hunger is forced to fortify the food leverages as the food grains are lacking adequate food nutrients. Initiatives are made in India to mitigate these deficiencies through classical, industrial, food-to-food, home and biofortification. Various government welfare schemes are instigated and producers and manufacturers of staple foods like rice, wheat flour, oil, salt, milk, corn, and peas have fortified these essential items to meet the requirements of specific target groups and general populations. The present study, based mainly on secondary data, explores various fortification initiatives and their impact. The issue of micronutrient deficiencies like vitamins A, D and B12, iron, zinc, calcium, folate, etc, poses severe and threatening health conditions. However, there is still a vast gap between goal and physical achievement at the ground level considering food security and nutritional security. It is advocated to coordinate efforts to encourage fortification at various levels to bridge the gap between the sustainable demand and supply of nutritious diets to mitigate silent hunger and severe public health issues. The successful management can satisfy the consignments of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).