India develops over 200 biofortified crop varieties to combat malnutrition

India has developed more than 200 biofortified crop varieties to address malnutrition. However, ensuring nutrition security and dietary diversity remains a challenge despite progress in food production, said A. Ananthan, a scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

Speaking at a national conference on Innovating Food Systems for a Sustainable and Nourishing Future, organised by the GITAM School of Science on Friday, he said biofortified crops contain higher levels of essential micronutrients. NIN’s My Plate for India recommends that cereals and millets account for 25% of the diet, while fruits and vegetables make up 50%.

He stressed the need for research into nutrient availability, indigenous foods and food safety. As an example, he said the Meghalaya government had incorporated locally available foods identified by NIN into school feeding programmes.

R Mahendran of the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur, highlighted cold plasma technology as a low-temperature method of improving food safety while preserving nutritional quality.

B Madhusudhana Rao of the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology warned that antibiotic use in aquaculture could lead to drug residues in fish and antimicrobial resistance. Given India’s target of producing 400 lakh tonnes of fish by 2047, effective surveillance is particularly important, he said.

GITAM School of Business Dean Raja P. Pappu highlighted opportunities in the food processing industry, while GITAM School of Science Director C. Kavitha referred to government support through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME).