The Union Ministry of Health is planning to widen the scope of food fortification in India and has constituted a committee under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to evaluate the next phase of the programme, according to sources aware of the discussions.
The ministry has held multiple consultations through FSSAI to assess gaps in the current framework and identify measures to strengthen the impact of food fortification, particularly in addressing micronutrient deficiencies such as Vitamin D.
At present, FSSAI permits fortification of only two food categories—edible oil and milk—with Vitamin D. The regulator has also introduced the ‘F+’ logo to help consumers identify fortified products and set up the Food Fortification Resource Centre (FFRC) to provide technical guidance, capacity building and implementation support to industry stakeholders.
Despite these initiatives, experts say the existing approach has limitations. “Only edible oil and milk are allowed to be fortified with Vitamin D, fortification is voluntary, and only plant-based sources of Vitamin D are permitted. These factors restrict the overall impact of food fortification in tackling widespread Vitamin D deficiency,” said Dr Arpita Mukherjee, professor at ICRIER.
Dr Mukherjee said the government could consider allowing a broader range of commonly consumed foods to be fortified with Vitamin D using both plant-based and animal-based sources. Other measures under consideration include mandating fortification for select healthy food categories, strengthening research and innovation, clearly defining high-fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods, improving monitoring mechanisms, and integrating fortified foods into national dietary guidelines.
She also highlighted the need for consumer awareness and trust-building, as well as targeted capacity building and training programmes for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to support wider adoption of fortification.
A 2023 UNICEF report has identified wheat flour, maize flour, salt, oil and milk as suitable food vehicles for fortification, noting that these staples can also be enriched with a range of other vitamins and minerals beyond Vitamin D.
However, consumer confusion around fortified foods remains a challenge. Dr Mukherjee pointed out that FSSAI currently has two separate regulations—one governing fortification and another covering advertising and claims. “The claims regulation allows enrichment, and many products are now enriched with Vitamin D. Enrichment and fortification are distinct processes, but the focus should be on fortifying healthy foods that are part of daily diets,” she said.
A recent policy brief by the ICRIER-ANVKA Foundation has proposed a targeted roadmap to reduce Vitamin D deficiency, recommending that FSSAI revive industry partnership initiatives such as Eat Right India to drive awareness and adoption. The brief also suggests incentives and capacity-building support for MSMEs to encourage participation in food fortification programmes.