Background
Origin and Development
Food Fortification Quality Management System (FFQMS).
Malnutrition continues to pose a formidable challenge worldwide, particularly in regions grappling with poverty and inadequate access to nutritious food. In the quest to combat this pervasive issue, food fortification emerges as a beacon of hope, offering a practical solution to bolster public health. This article delves into the significance of food fortification, with a spotlight on its application in India, where malnutrition remains a pressing concern.
At its core, food fortification entails enriching staple food items with essential micronutrients to alleviate deficiencies and promote well-being. This evidence-informed intervention, endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), stands as a pivotal strategy in the global fight against malnutrition. From adding iodine to salt to fortifying milk with vitamin D, the process of food fortification manifests in various forms, each tailored to address specific nutrient gaps within populations.
In response to the pervasive malnutrition crisis, organisations have collaborated on innovative initiatives, such as rice fortification, to enhance staple food items with essential micronutrients. Rice, being a dietary staple in India, presents a promising canvas for these fortification efforts. By enriching rice with vital micronutrients like iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin A, these initiatives aim to improve the nutritional quality of diets without necessitating significant alterations in dietary habits.
The fortification process involves meticulous steps, from sourcing natural rice from mills to manufacturing fortified rice kernels containing the requisite micronutrients. Quality control measures, including rigorous testing in laboratories, ensure compliance with food standards before distribution to the populace. Rice is fortified with iron, folic acid (vitamin B6), and vitamin B12 to address anemia and micronutrient deficiencies.
The process of fortifying rice involves multiple stakeholders. To ensure that the quality of fortified rice aligns with the policies and guidelines of a specific geography (country, region, or sub-unit), a robust quality control and quality assurance infrastructure and processes are required. Establishing a robust process is crucial to producing and supplying fortified rice of the desired quality to consumers, ultimately achieving the goal of curtailing chronic nutritional deficiencies.
In the context of India, the government has decided to scale up the distribution of fortified rice under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), PM POSHAN Schemes, and the Public Distribution System (PDS). This expansion will be implemented in a phased manner, leveraging the existing domestic supply chain through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and/or state agencies. The blending of rice with fortified rice kernels (FRK) will occur at the rice mills.
The rice fortification program currently suffers from a lack of quality due to weak oversight and enforcement mechanisms, primarily caused by poor incentives and a lack of trained personnel in the system. As a result, rice mills, FRK manufacturers, and premix suppliers are not held accountable for meeting government standards, and many may not be fortifying at all, thereby reducing the program's impact.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for quality assurance primarily covers the following three aspects:
Quality Assurance of the processes in the supply chain
Quality Control of the inputs and the produce, primarily premix, fortified rice kernels, and fortified rice
Traceability of material movement within the critical stakeholders in the supply chain, namely premix manufacturers, FRK manufacturers, and rice mills carrying out the blending of FRK with milled rice to produce fortified rice
It is proposed that a suitable end-to-end digital solution for Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC), and Traceability (Trace) be implemented across the manufacturing supply chain.
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