No technical glitches in rice fortification programme, govt tells Parliament
No technical challenges have been reported in blending Fortified Rice Kernels (FRKs) with regular rice at a ratio of 1:100 during the milling stage, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.
The government’s fortified rice programme through the Public Distribution System (PDS) aims to combat micronutrient deficiencies like anaemia by blending fortified rice kernels with regular rice. It has been rolled out in phases nationwide under schemes like the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and PM POSHAN.
Fortified rice is mixed using FRK – made from rice flour with iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 – at a 1:100 ratio with common milled rice.
“No technical challenges have been reported in blending of FRKs with regular rice at a ratio of 1:100 during the milling stage,” Minister of State for Food Nimuben Jayatibhai Bambhaniya said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Highlighting steps taken for quality assurance of fortified rice, the minister said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified standards for Fortified Rice (FR), Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) and Vitamin-Mineral Premix for FRK.
The FSSAI has developed standardised methods for testing of fortificants (iron, folic acid and vitamin B12) in FR, FRK and premix to achieve uniform test results across the country. It has also published guidelines on sampling of FR, FRK and premix for FRK to ensure drawing of representative samples.
Each batch of FRKs is being tested at FSSAI-empanelled National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited laboratories before its blending with conventional rice.
As of December 2025, the FSSAI has approved 56 laboratories for testing of micronutrients (iron, folic acid and vitamin B12) in Fortified Rice, 31 labs for FRK and 17 labs for Vitamin-Mineral premix for FRK across the country. This includes eight labs for FR, four labs for FRK and three labs for premix in Maharashtra.
This article has been republished from The Daily Excelisor.