Removal of health warning on iron-fortified food raises concern

Thiruvananthapuram: A recent directive of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to do away with the statutory health warning to Thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) patients on iron fortified food packets has triggered concerns.

A mass online petition campaign has been launched against the move by a section opposing the directive.

The statutory warning on iron fortified food products that 'People with Thalassemia may take under medical supervision and persons with Sickle Cell Anemia are advised not to consume iron fortified food products' is being done away with as per a report of a committee headed by the director general of ICMR. The FSSAI issued a directive in this regard on July 19 and also released a draft notification on September 18 for amending the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations.

According to the mass petition, the mandatory advisory was included into the statutory regulations after scientific discussions. Thalassemia and SCD patients are at a risk of various ailments like liver cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, diabetes and delayed puberty due to extra iron intake.

Various studies citing the health hazards posed by iron fortified food leading to iron overload are also cited in the online mass petition. A 2022 NITI Aayog report had raised concerns over quality assurance and quality checks with regard to iron fortified rice.

The petition also points out that the committee headed by ICMR director general Dr Rajiv Bahl, which was set up to review FSSAI’s health advisory on Thalassemia and SCD, had stated that other countries as well as the WHO don’t have warning labels. But they do ask for proper labelling so that patients on iron restricted diets can make informed choices.

The petition urges FSSAI to reconsider the decision to remove the advisory as well as the policy decision to supply iron-fortified rice in large scale manner without any scientific proof of its need and effectiveness.

Social activist and Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi president N Badusha said that there was already widespread health concerns over supplying fortified rice and the decision to remove the mandatory health warning further adds to this among Thalassemia and SCD patients. He also asked the government to reconsider the decision.