PMO favours promotion of double fortified salt in country
PTI | 08:04 PM,Apr 20,2011New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) In a bid to battle malnutrition, the Prime Minister's Office has favoured promotion of salt, double fortified with iodine and iron, for consumption across the country.The decision to promote DFS was taken at a meeting held in the PMO on Monday, which was chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and attended by senior officials from the ministries of Health, Women and Child Development, Food and Civil Supplies and a member of the Prime Minister's national council on India's Nutritional Challenges, sources said.The technology for double fortification of salt with iodine and iron has been developed by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad.The NIN has also shared the technology with some of the salt manufacturers by signing MoUs with them.The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has already issued a gazette notification prescribing the legal standard for double fortified salt.Sources said before moving towards the mandatory double fortification of salt, which is a desirable goal to aspire for in future, Government may promote the consumption and production of DFS through effective communication campaign, mandating its use in government-sponsored food and nutrition programmes like ICDS, midday meals and by supplying DFS through the Public Distribution Systems.The Government could also encourage salt manufacturers to invest in technology by making a clear policy statement about the governments intent of promoting the use of DFS.The department of Food and Civil Supplies will examine the possibility of supplying DFS through the PDS.
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