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As the Union food ministry decided to temporarily halt the rice fortification process “until a more effective mechanism is identified to deliver nutrients to the beneficiaries”, activists who challenged the scheme in the Supreme Court welcomed the move, saying fortification was not a scientific method to curb anaemia.
On Friday (February 27, 2026), the government announced that it has reviewed the implementation of rice fortification under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes. “Based on this review, it has been decided to temporarily suspend the rice fortification process under PMGKAY and related programs until a more effective mechanism to deliver nutrients to the beneficiaries is identified,” the food ministry said, citing an IIT Kharagpur study to assess the shelf life of fortified rice grains (FRK) and fortified rice in different climatic zones by farmers under different agricultural conditions.
“The report concludes that factors such as moisture content, storage conditions, temperature, relative humidity and packaging material critically affect the stability and shelf life of FRK and FR. They are susceptible to micronutrient depletion and reduced shelf life during long-term storage and routine handling. This depletion makes the effective shelf life shorter than expected and consequently limits the intended nutritional outcomes,” the report added.
The government insisted that the decision does not result in any reduction in food entitlements and will not affect operations under the Public Distribution System, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) or mid-day meal scheme.
Social activist Kavitha Kuruganti welcomed the decision, saying that rice fortification is a costly and ineffective intervention that is dangerous and toxic. “While the government cites a study to stop this large-scale fortification, we have shown ample evidence that not all anemia is linked to iron deficiency, nor is fortification an effective solution. We have brought a public interest litigation to the Supreme Court on this matter and the government has yet to justify their abnormal and inconsistent behavior with regard to the statutory regulations on fortified foods,” she said.
Published – 28 Feb 2026 23:09 IST
