Iron-Fortified Rice may Contain High Amounts of Iron: Report

• 21 Jun 2022

Why in News?

Releasing a fact-finding report after visiting 11 villages in four districts of Chhattisgarh on June 20, 2022, ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture) Kavitha Kuruganti said that iron-fortified rice can lead to iron excess.

Key Points

• Releasing the report after visiting 11 villages of five blocks of Bastar, Kondagaon, Surguja and Korba, Kuruganti said Chhattisgarh is self-sufficient in paddy production and also has a decentralized procurement system.
• He said that there is really no basis for large-scale scaling of rice fortification scheme in the state, where Chhattisgarh is now distributing 25-45 percent of all fortified rice being distributed across the country.
• According to the report, in Kondagaon district, neither the pilot work has been completed, nor has the evaluation been carried out and the results have been kept for public viewing, but it has been extended to 12 districts.
• Sangeeta Sahu of Right to Food Campaign (RTFC) Chhattisgarh said that pilot evaluation can be not only of efficacy but also of safety.
• He said that with the burden of diseases like Sickle Cell Disorder, Thalassemia, Tuberculosis (TB), Chhattisgarh should move out of the Centre's unscientific and risky policy of iron-fortified rice in public schemes.
• Chhattisgarh already has a high disease burden of sickle cell disorders of about 1.5 lakh persons. Thalassemia, Malaria and Tuberculosis are also prevalent in the state.
• He said the state already has some exemplary and unique initiatives such as a holistic, diverse, food-based 'Suposhan Abhiyan', 'Narwa, Garuwa, Ghuruva and Badi' (NGGB) and 'Godhan Nyaya Yojana', etc. .