Nutritional anaemia, vitamin A deficiency and iodine deficiency disorders are the three major manifestations of `hidden hunger', Bagchi points out.The answer is food fortification. According to Bagchi, ``Food fortification is a food technology measure that can enrich any food with selected nutrients that are normally missing in the daily diet. Food scientists and food technologists have been struggling for decades to develop methods through which food can be made nutrient dense through technological means. For a large number of people in our country are malnourished, despite the fact that since independence, India has made creditable achievements in eradicating rank nutritional deficiencies like beri-beri, ricket, scurvy and nutritional blindness.''

Fortification of commonly consumed, affordable foods as a nutrition promotion measure has been undertaken for decades in both developed and developing countries. The consumption of adequate amounts of appropriate foods, which include green leafy vegetables (GLVs) and fruits, is considered a lasting solution to all types of nutrition deficiencies, he suggests. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to the low purchasing power of one-third of the Indian population and non-availability of the right kinds of food all through the year.

The trick, says Bagchi, is to introduce fortified foods into the Public Distribution System (PDS) so that the those living below the poverty line and around it benefit from it. Bagchi reveals that the Vasant Dada Sugar Institute in Pune is already fortifying the sugar released through the PDS. But the government is still reluctant to adopt the measure whole-heartedly.

Bagchi says, ``Today, there is a dichotomy in food fortification. While on the one hand, we are proud to adopt a universal iodisation of salt for controlling iodine deficiency disorders, in addition to officially making fortification of vanaspati with vitamins A and D mandatory, on the other hand, we decry fortification as a wrong means of adopting shortcut measures, ignoring its lasting strategic value. Further, lack of knowledge about the benefits and importance of vital nutrients in our food, backed by lack of purchasing power (especially among the 33 per cent that lie below the poverty line), make our country more vulnerable to the degradation of health standards already witnessed by many countries in Africa.

Bagchi says, ``It is gratifying to note that the government of India has enacted the National Nutrition Policy in 1993 and has developed the National Plan of Action in 1995 to face the challenge of malnutrition on a priority basis.''

He adds, ``Food technologists in India are researching how staple foods like cereals, dairy products, fats, oils and sugar, which are commonly consumed by all segments of the population, could be fortified to improve the nutritional status of the population in the country. In fact, many processed foods like ready-to-eat cereals and instant foods available in the open market are fortified with select micronutrients."

Several companies in the country are willing to add nutrients to the food products. For example, Hindustan Lever has already fortified flour. Procter and Gamble is doing it with tea.

According to Bagchi, ``The Nutrition Syndicate intends to come out with a Delhi Declaration, in which the emphasis will be on inviting industry to join hands with the government to plan a national nutrition programme on a war-footing.''

``Also, we would call for the government to look into the food laws. In the declaration, we will present proof of `hidden hunger' to the government and tell it that the kind of food that is distributed through the PDS is lacking in special nutrients. We are demanding that there should be 4-5 nutrients in any one food and since the country has the scientific knowhow for, there should not be any difficulty in doing so,'' Bagchi says.