3 months ago
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As the Union Food Ministry decided to temporarily discontinue the process of atom fortification “until a much effectual mechanics for transportation of nutrients to beneficiaries is identified”, activists who had challenged the strategy successful the Supreme Court welcomed the determination and said fortification is not a technological method to curb anaemia.
On Friday (February 27, 2026), the authorities announced that it had reviewed the implementation of atom fortification nether the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and different payment schemes. “Based connected this review, it has been decided to temporarily discontinue the process of atom fortification nether PMGKAY and allied schemes until a much effectual mechanics for transportation of nutrients to beneficiaries is identified,” the Food Ministry said, citing a survey by IIT Kharagpur to measure the support beingness of fortified atom kernels (FRK) and fortified atom (FR) nether existent retention conditions successful divers agro climatic zones successful the country.
“The study concludes that factors specified arsenic moisture content, retention conditions, temperature, comparative humidity, and packaging worldly critically power the stableness and support beingness of FRK and FR. They are susceptible to micronutrient simplification and shortening of support beingness during prolonged retention and regular handling. This simplification is rendering the effectual support beingness shorter than expected and, successful turn, limiting the intended nutritional outcomes,” the merchandise added.
The authorities maintained that the determination does not entail immoderate simplification successful foodgrain entitlements and volition not impact operations nether the nationalist organisation system, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), oregon the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
Welcoming the decision, societal activistic Kavitha Kuruganti said atom fortification is an costly and ineffective intervention, which is is unsafe and toxic. “While the authorities is citing a survey to halt this large-scale fortification, we had shown overmuch grounds that not each anaemia is linked to robust deficiency, nor is fortification an effectual solution. We had filed a nationalist involvement litigation petition successful the Supreme Court connected this substance and the authorities could not warrant truthful acold their aberrant and inconsistent behaviour with respect to statutory regulations connected fortified food,” she said.
