Food technology innovations for ensuring nutrition and health security

Several countries of the world including India are currently combating the crisis of malnutrition. Despite substantial improvements in health and well-being, iron deficiency anemia (IDA), protein deficiency, and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCD) like diabetes are in alarming stages. Fortification of staples with micronutrients like iron, vitamin B₁₂, folic acid as well as balancing energy and amino acids are panacea for the malnutrition. Effective
implementation of food fortification coupled with the use of innovative food processing and packaging technologies are key to providing nutrition and health security to masses. Extrusion is the most versatile, reliable and sustainable technology for a successful and cost-effective thriving food fortification programme.

Extrusion technology has been used to produce ready to cook RTC fortified rice kernels (FRK), fortified rice noodles (FRN), low glycemic rice (LGR), and essential amino acid balanced nutri dal/pulse (NHD). The broken rice and mixture of broken pulses, millets and pseudo cereals are respectively grinded into flour, mixed with desired amounts of micronutrient fortificants and conditioned. The conditioned rice/legumes/millet flours are then fed into a twin-screw extruder, specially designed and fabricated for the purpose, to produce the speciality products with enhanced micronutrients which are then dried, polished, and packaged. Details of the product formulations, manufacturing technologies and health benefits shall be discussed.