Food Safety and Standard Authority India is on mission to spread awareness among children about Vitamin D that comes through natural sunlight intake of fortified food. FSSAI will soon launch a campaign ‘Project Dhoop’ that will help spread awareness.
According to the survey 2016 that was conducted by National Health and Family, 70 per cent of pre-school children and around 50 per cent of women suffer from anaemia caused by iron deficiency.
The source of Vitamin D is limited to sunlight and few non-vegetarian foods, hence fortifying foods is a necessary involvement, said by R K Marwaha, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Endocrinology.
The campaign Project Dhoop will be implemented in alliance with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and private firm Kwality Ltd, the regulator said in a statement.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) informed stakeholders about the projected campaign at an interaction on the issue of fortification. The campaign details are being worked out.
Alarming 70 per cent of the Indian population consumes less than 50 per cent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of micronutrients.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said, “Public health consequences of micronutrient deficiencies are serious. The message of food fortification hence needs to go out using various methods, to a variety of people.”
Food fortification is simple, inexpensive yet priceless strategy that has been used across the world to effectively prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies, he added.
The FSSAI has notified the standards and launched a fortification logo +F’ to help consumers and businesses identify the fortified product.
Santosh Karmarkar, an expert on folic acid deficiency said, it is the need of an hour to understand the importance of fortifying food with Vitamin D.”
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