Wheat flour, milk, edible oils to be mandatorily fortified:

With a view to making the state malnutrition and anaemia-free, the Haryana Food and Drug Administration Department has decided to make wheat flour, milk and edible oils mandatorily fortified.

"Haryana will be the first state in the country to take such initiative," an official statement quoted Principal Secretary, Health, Amit Jha as saying.

Jha was presiding over a meeting of the department here today.

The meeting was also attended by more than 150 representatives of the Edible Oil Manufacturers Association, Milk Producers Association, Roller Flour Miller Federation and various leading business organisations.

Jha said under an initiative taken by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Health Minister Anil Vij, these items would be fortified by the department.

"These fortified food items would be distributed in mid-day meal in schools, at Public Distribution System outlets and under all Integrated Child Development Schemes. This would benefit about 80 lakh people who would be provided nutritious food," he said.

The food items would be fortified with iron, folic acid, Vitamin A, D and B-12, zinc and others. A pilot project has been initiated in blocks Barada and Naraingarh which are giving positive results, he said.

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