Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.

Rice fortification is the practice of increasing the content of essential micronutrients in rice and to improve the nutritional quality of the rice.

1. Regular milled rice is low in micronutrients and serves primarily as a source of carbohydrate only. The fortification of rice is a major opportunity to improve nutrition.
2. Fortified rice are contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Iron and Zinc.

Regulations under Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016’ sets the standards for food fortification and encourage the production, manufacture, distribution, sale and consumption of fortified foods.

• The regulations also provide for specific role of FSSAI in promotion for food fortification and to make fortification mandatory. This sets the premise for the national summit on fortification of food.