Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
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Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
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		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot; title=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot; title=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot; title=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot; title=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot; title=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot; title=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot; title=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 60326,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;
$metaKeywords = &#039;Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture,chemical fortification,dietary diversity,Folic Acid,Food Safety and Standards Authority of India,FSSAI,Fortification,fortification of edible oil,fortification of edible oil and milk,fortification of food and edible oils,fortification of milk,Iron,Protein intake,Rice fortification,Toxicity,Vitamin A,Vitamin B12,Vitamin D&#039;
$metaDesc = &#039;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021

170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot; title=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot; title=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot; title=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot; title=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot; title=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot; title=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot; title=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51</pre></div></pre>latest-news-updates/citizens-ask-fssai-to-stop-mandatory-food-fortification-warn-against-grave-health-and-economic-impacts-in-reductionist-approaches-to-nutrition.html"/>
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170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap..."/>
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                <strong>Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition</strong></h1>
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                <p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p><p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p><p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf" title="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf" title="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/" title="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm" title="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677" title="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece" title="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/" title="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--" title="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p><p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com" title="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>               </font>
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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
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		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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	&#039;metaDesc&#039; =&gt; &#039;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021

170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot; title=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot; title=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot; title=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot; title=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot; title=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot; title=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot; title=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 60326,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;
$metaKeywords = &#039;Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture,chemical fortification,dietary diversity,Folic Acid,Food Safety and Standards Authority of India,FSSAI,Fortification,fortification of edible oil,fortification of edible oil and milk,fortification of food and edible oils,fortification of milk,Iron,Protein intake,Rice fortification,Toxicity,Vitamin A,Vitamin B12,Vitamin D&#039;
$metaDesc = &#039;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021

170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot; title=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot; title=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot; title=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot; title=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot; title=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot; title=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot; title=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap..."/>
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                <strong>Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition</strong></h1>
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                <p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p><p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p><p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf" title="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf" title="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/" title="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm" title="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677" title="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece" title="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/" title="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--" title="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p><p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com" title="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>               </font>
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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
		&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; null,
		&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021, &#039;,
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	&#039;metaTitle&#039; =&gt; &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
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	&#039;metaDesc&#039; =&gt; &#039;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021

170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot; title=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot; title=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot; title=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot; title=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot; title=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot; title=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot; title=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;id&#039; =&gt; (int) 60326,
	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;,
	&#039;subheading&#039; =&gt; null,
	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition&#039;
$metaKeywords = &#039;Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture,chemical fortification,dietary diversity,Folic Acid,Food Safety and Standards Authority of India,FSSAI,Fortification,fortification of edible oil,fortification of edible oil and milk,fortification of food and edible oils,fortification of milk,Iron,Protein intake,Rice fortification,Toxicity,Vitamin A,Vitamin B12,Vitamin D&#039;
$metaDesc = &#039;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021

170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&amp;rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&amp;rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &amp;ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&amp;rdquo;asked the &lt;a href=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf&quot;&gt;latest letter&lt;/a&gt; to FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&amp;rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&amp;rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &amp;ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&amp;rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&amp;rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &amp;ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&amp;rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &amp;nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&amp;rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[1] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[2] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot; title=&quot;https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[3] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;amp;utm_medium=text&amp;amp;utm_campaign=cppst&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot; title=&quot;https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[4] Please click &lt;a href=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot; title=&quot;https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot; title=&quot;https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot; title=&quot;https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[5] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot; title=&quot;https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[6] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot; title=&quot;https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[7] Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot; title=&quot;https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;[8] Please &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot; title=&quot;http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to access.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more information, please contact:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;text-align:justify&quot;&gt;Or email at &lt;a href=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot; title=&quot;http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&quot;&gt;asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap..."/>
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                <strong>Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition</strong></h1>
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                <p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p><p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p><p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf" title="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf" title="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/" title="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm" title="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677" title="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece" title="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/" title="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--" title="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p><p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com" title="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>               </font>
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		'title' => 'Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition',
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		'description' => '<p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...',
	'disp' => '<p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p><p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p><p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf" title="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf" title="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/" title="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm" title="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677" title="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece" title="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/" title="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--" title="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p><p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com" title="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>',
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	'title' => 'Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition',
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	'description' => '<p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p>

<p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap...'
$disp = '<p style="text-align:justify">-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021</p><p style="text-align:justify">170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers&rsquo; organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6]</p><p style="text-align:justify">The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI&rsquo;s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. &ldquo;If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,&rdquo;asked the <a href="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf" title="https://im4change.org/upload/files/ASHAs%20letter%20to%20FFRC%20on%20mandatory%20fortification%20Aug%202021.pdf">latest letter</a> to FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don&rsquo;t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India&rsquo;s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. &ldquo;Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,&rdquo; said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&ldquo;It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand&rdquo;, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator.</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. &ldquo;We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods&rdquo; said Usha Soolapani of ASHA. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy. &nbsp;Local communities, farmers and women&rsquo;s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Notes</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">[1] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2021/07/31/response-to-ffrc-letter-dated-19th-november-2020-in-response-to-our-letter-dated5th-november-2020-on-planned-mandatory-fortification-in-india-of-edible-oils-and-rice/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[2] Please click <a href="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf" title="https://fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Oil_FNB_04_01_2020.pdf">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[3] Please click <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-mulls-fortified-rice-to-fight-malnutrition-anaemia-policy-to-spur-production-likely/articleshow/84878936.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">here</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/" title="https://theprint.in/health/to-tackle-anaemia-modi-govt-plans-to-make-fortification-of-rice-mandatory-in-next-3-years/529703/">here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[4] Please click <a href="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm" title="https://dfpd.gov.in/Centrally_Sponsored_Pilot_Scheme.htm">here</a>, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677" title="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1669677">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece" title="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-extend-fortified-rice-scheme-to-112-districts/article33016045.ece">here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[5] Please <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr" title="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-to-supply-fortified-rice-through-icds-mid-day-meal-scheme-from-april/articleshow/81449517.cms?from=mdr">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[6] Please <a href="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/" title="https://foodsystems.community/members/anoukdevries/activity/5298/">click here</a> to access.</p><p style="text-align:justify">[7] Please <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--" title="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FDqjiUEaCoRFckoIgA1nS4gfXEj8dC6t/view?usp=sharing--">click here</a> to access. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">[8] Please <a href="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/" title="http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2020/11/05/ashas-response-on-fssai%E2%80%99s-planned-mandatory-fortification-of-edible-oil-with-vitamin-aand-vitamin-d-and-rice-with-vitamin-b12-iron-and-folic-acid/">click here</a> to access.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify"><strong>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify">Usha Soolapani at 9567157197 &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify">Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425</p><p style="text-align:justify">Or email at <a href="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com" title="http://asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com">asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>'
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Citizens ask FSSAI to stop mandatory food fortification- Warn against grave health and economic impacts in reductionist approaches to nutrition

-Press release by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) dated 2 August, 2021 170 individuals and organizations along with the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA Kisan Swaraj) have written to the FSSAI urging it to scrap its plans to make synthetic/ chemical fortification of foods mandatory in India [1]. They cited detrimental and irreversible health and socio-economic impacts such as market shifts in favor of large corporations, loss of livelihoods for small and informal players, monocultures in diets and reliance on packaged foods, lack of independent and conclusive evidence, and conflict-of-interest concerns. Signatories included medical experts, nutritionists, agricultural scientists, farmers’ organizations, academics, civil society organizations and concerned citizens from across India.  Earlier this year, the FSSAI issued draft regulations on mandatory fortification of edible oil and milk with Vitamin A and D [2]. It has also announced intentions to make rice fortification mandatory with Vitamin B12, Iron, and Folic Acid starting 2024 [3]. The government recently initiated a 3-year centrally sponsored pilot scheme on rice fortification and supply via PDS in 15 districts across the country [4]. Since April, the government has also started to distribute fortified rice through the mid-day meal scheme and ICDS program citing widespread nutritional deficiencies [5]. Fortification approaches are receiving major a push in the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) processes too, including from India. [6] The FSSAI has responded saying that that it sees fortification only as a complementary strategy to diverse diets [7]. This in turn was in response to an earlier letter sent by civil society groups to FSSAI in November 2020 [8]. Activists point out that FSSAI’s intentions are questionable since FSSAI has cited industry-funded studies to justify fortification on a national scale, willfully ignoring conflict of interest since those very entities stand most to profit from such a policy. “If FSSAI really saw fortification as a complementary strategy, then why is fortification mandatory while dietary diversity and other holistic approaches to malnutrition are optional?,”asked the latest letter to FSSAI.  A major problem with chemical fortification of foods, explains the letter, is that nutrients don’t work in isolation but need each other for optimal absorption. Further, in undernourished populations such as India’s, the key problem is calorie and especially protein inadequacy as a result of monotonous cereal-based diets along with low consumption of vegetables and animal protein. Adding one or two synthetic chemical vitamins and minerals will not solve the larger problem, and in undernourished populations can lead to toxicity, including gut inflammation. “Evidence supporting fortification is inconclusive and certainly not adequate before major national policies are rolled out,” said Dr Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of National Institute of Nutrition.  “It is ridiculous that the government is promoting polished rice, which has lost a lot of its nutrition on the one hand, and talks about chemical fortification on the other hand”, pointed out Dr Debal Deb, ecologist and traditional rice conservator. The letter also points to serious economic impacts on consumers and informal players like small rice millers, oil ghanis/cold press oil mills, small farmers, and local enterprises who will not be able to make the heavy investments required. An indicative cost according to the government is 3.2 crore for rice fortification. “We have been hearing so much about atma -nirbharta, but since the only suppliers of synthetic micronutrients are multi-national corporations, with a history of cartelization and price hikes, FSSAI will seriously jeopardize our food security by making us dependent on such entities. FSSAI has no mechanism to regulate prices of such micronutrients that it wants to insert into our staple foods” said Usha Soolapani of ASHA.   The letter warns the government against a blanket approach to meet the complexity of malnutrition in our country. The simple and complete solution they say, is to improve diets and diversify them via widely available nutrient dense vegetables, millets, animal protein, dairy.  Local communities, farmers and women’s collectives, and households can be supported via projects like backyard poultry and livestock, home gardens and many other tried and tested methods including agricultural pathways towards better nutrition, which are the best source of nutrition, even according to the FSSAI.  Notes [1] Please click here to access. [2] Please click here to access. [3] Please click here and here to access.  [4] Please click here, here, and here to access. [5] Please click here to access. [6] Please click here to access. [7] Please click here to access.   [8] Please click here to access.      For more information, please contact:  Usha Soolapani at 9567157197   Dr Vandana Prasad at +91 98915 52425 Or email at asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com