As part of initiative of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to address the issue of malnutrition and other health related issues among the people, 3 milk processing units including M/s Zum Zum Milk Products, M/s Haleeb Milk Products and M/s Insha Dairy Limited, operating from IGC, Lassipora Pulwama have initiated the process for fortification of milk with vitamin A and D, with the assistance of FSSAI and Food & Drugs Administration, J&K.
FDA in collaboration with FSSAI had conducted a 3 day awareness cum training programme for Food Business Operators engaged in processing and manufacturing of milk and milk products in Srinagar with regard to food fortification.
Executive Director, FSSAI and Commissioner Food and Drugs Administration held a series of interactive sessions on food fortification with various stakeholders including on ground officers and officials of Food and Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Social Welfare, School Education and Health Departments besides Food Business Operators engaged in manufacturing/processing of milk and milk products, rice and wheat flour.
An onsite training programme was also organized at Jammu and Kashmir Milk Producer’s Co-operative Limited (JKMPLC) located at Chashm-e-Shahi, Srinagar, in collaboration with PATH, an NGO associated with FSSAI for awareness and training of Food Business Operators on food fortification.
During the training programme, representatives of various milk processing units were given training about fortification of milk with Vitamin A and D. Subsequent to the training, a number of processing units of district Pulwama decided to take part in the nation-wide fortification initiative of FSSAI.
Commissioner FDA, while elaborating about the initiative, underscored the need of fortification of rice, wheat flour, oil and milk with various micronutrients such as vitamin A and D, vitamin B complex, iron and iodine to address various health related issues like anemia and malnutrition.
He said that the percentage of anaemia is very high among women and children including children up to the age of 5 years in India, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) and situation is no different in J&K. ‘FSSAI, apart from fortification of rice, oil and salt, has already rolled out recommendations for fortification of skimmed milk, double toned milk, toned milk and standardized milk with 770 IU of Vitamin A and 550 IU of Vitamin D per litre of milk’, he added.
He said the fortification will help provide 15-30 per cent of the daily requirement for these Vitamins adding that milk fortification is a safe and cost effective method for adding nutrients to milk which is consumed by all people and its consumption by children is reasonably high. Vitamin A and D that are added to milk, help to improve body's immunity against infections, improve vision and help to make the bones strong, he added.
He said that Food & Drugs Administration, J&K as well as FSSAI, will provide all kind of necessary assistance for successful implementation of fortification of milk, rice, wheat flour, oil with micro-nutrients as it is an effective medium of addressing micronutrient malnutrition.