COOKING AND TASTING DEMONSTRATION OF FORTIFIED RICE – Sikkim
COOKING AND TASTING DEMONSTRATION OF FORTIFIED RICE – Sikkim
COOKING AND TASTING DEMONSTRATION OF FORTIFIED RICE: November, 2022
2 districts of Sikkim (Gangtok and Namchi)
In India as per NFHS-5 (2019-21,) 67 percent of children had some degree of anemia (hemoglobin levels below 11.0 g/dl). 29 percent of children had mild anemia, 36 percent had moderate anemia, and 2 percent had severe anemia. Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the prevalence of anemia in India among children aged 6-59 months has increased from 59 percent to 67 percent and continued to be higher among rural children. The prevalence of Anemia is higher among the children born from mothers deficient in iron than non-anemic mothers. Anemia prevalence has increased between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5, in the country.
To address anemia and micro-nutrient deficiency in the country, Government of India approved the Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on “Fortification of Rice & its Distribution under Public Distribution System” for a period of 3 years beginning 2019-20. Rice is consumed by 65% of the population in India. Currently rice is provided in all government safety net schemes and is a good vehicle to provide micronutrients 2 in the recommended quantity without any change in dietary habits. The staple food fortification (including rice fortification) is considered as a comprehensive strategy to address anaemia in multiple States including North Eastern States.
The assessment of the situation of Anaemia and other parameters in the State of Sikkim was done using the NFHS-5 data. Further, the statistics reveal severity of challenges in the State with respect to anemia and micro-nutrient deficiency.
| Indicators | NFHS-5 | NFHS-4 |
| Children age 6-59 months who are anaemic (<11 g/dl) (%) | 56.4 | 55.1 |
| Non-pregnant women age 15-49 years who are anaemic (<12.0 g/dl) (%) | 42.1 | 35.2 |
| Pregnant women age 15-49 years who are anaemic (<11.0 g/dl) (%) | 40.7 | 23.6 |
| All women age 15-49 years who are anaemic (%) | 42.1 | 34.9 |
| All women age 15-19 years who are anaemic (%) | 46.7 | 48.7 |
| Men age 15-49 years who are anaemic (<13.0 g/dl) (%) | 18.7 | 15.8 |
| Men age 15-19 years who are anaemic (<13.0 g/dl) (%) | 17.6 | 16.7 |
Observation: In Sikkim, nearly three-fifths (58%) of the households are in rural areas. On average, households are comprised of 3 to 4 members. Eighteen percent of households are headed by women, with 15 percent of the population living in female -headed households. This means that any large scale awareness amongst women of Sikkim can lead to a positive change in the habits of the family as well as community at large.
Demonstration Activity in the State of Sikkim
Objective: To spread awareness about the benefits of fortified rice amongst the beneficiaries especially through a training cum awareness program for ICDS, MDM and ASHA workers. There are certain myths prevailing in the field that the fortified rice contains plastic rice or there is a change in taste, colour, smell and appearance of fortified rice.
The objective of conducting this cooking demonstration activities was to create awareness about fortified staples especially fortified rice and bust myths to build trust among ICDS and MDM beneficiaries. The objective of the exercise is also to generate evidence on overall acceptability by taking feedback from the participants about organoleptic properties of fortified rice.
2 districts of the State were chosen for this demonstration activity. Awareness campaign on food fortification with cooking and tasting demonstration activities specific to fortified rice were conducted in Gangtok and Namchi districts.
Details are as below:
| District | Date | Venue | No. of Attendees |
| Gangtok | 21 Nov 2022 | Deorali Community Hall | 200+ |
| Namchi | 22 Nov 2022 | 120+ |
Approximately 300+ participants were present in the sessions including MDM supervisors, CDPOs, Aganwadi and ASHA workers along with officials of Food and Drug Administration, Sikkim and FSSAI. Lectures were delivered by experts on the benefits of food fortification, the regulations and current status along with the recommended method of preparation of the fortified foods. The queries and myths of the participants regarding fortified foods were also addressed real time. IEC material including booklets, brochure
and bags were distributed among the participants for awareness and recognition of + F logo which is provided on fortified food packets for easy identification. The events were conducted by FSSAI (Fortification Division) in partnership with Sikkim State FDA in association with Mondelez India Pvt Ltd along with Nayaatara Foundation.
Thereafter, the audience was served a hot meal prepared with fortified rice (like Kheer, Khichdi, Pulav and Biryani). Thereafter, the participants were asked about their sensory feedback and perception regarding fortified rice and the responses were recorded through a checklist. The feedback was collected by the fortification division team using feedback forms manually, later the data was analyzed using MS Excel.
The participants were also asked about if they felt any difference in the biryani prepared from regular rice and fortified rice. Based on the analysis it can be concluded that the meal prepared was overall well-accepted by the beneficiaries in all four districts.
Way Forward
The activity was a success due to the collaborative effort of State FDA, Fortification division and Mondelez India Pvt Ltd. The feedback received during the activity was very positive and participants were receptive to the fortified rice. The key takeaway from the activity is that there is a need for awareness building and tasting activities in various districts of the country to sensitize people about the benefits of fortified staples and increase the acceptability for effective implementation of the program. Similar activities need to be conducted in other districts of Sikkim and the model could be extended to other states in the country.
Glimpse of the event
