What Fortified Rice Is
Fortified rice is ordinary rice into which a small proportion of specially manufactured nutrient-enriched kernels, known as Fortified Rice Kernels or FRK, has been blended. These kernels look and cook like normal rice but carry added micronutrients. The blending is usually done at a fixed ratio so that the finished rice delivers a measured dose of nutrients in every serving.
Why It Is Used
Large numbers of school children suffer from hidden hunger — deficiencies of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 that do not show on a full plate but harm growth, energy and concentration. Iron-deficiency anaemia in particular is widespread. Fortifying the rice that children already eat is a low-cost, high-reach way to address these deficiencies without changing eating habits or the menu.
What Nutrients It Adds
Fortified rice in the public food programmes typically adds iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, the combination shown to be most effective against anaemia. Because the fortificant is built into the kernel, it survives normal washing and cooking far better than nutrients sprinkled on the surface, so children actually receive the intended dose.
Effect on Calculation
For a school doing daily Mid Day Meal calculation, fortified rice changes nothing in the arithmetic. The per-child quantity is still 100 grams for primary and 150 grams for upper primary, and rice remains free of cost to the school. Fortification improves the nutritional value of the same quantity of grain; it is a quality enhancement, not a quantity change.
Handling and Storage
Fortified rice should be stored and cooked like ordinary rice — kept dry, off the floor and free from pests. There is no need to separate or specially treat the fortified kernels; they are designed to be cooked together with the rest of the rice. Staff should simply ensure the rice received is of good quality and within any marked shelf life.
A Quiet but Important Step
Because it works invisibly inside an existing meal, rice fortification rarely gets noticed, yet it is one of the more cost-effective public-health measures in the scheme. For school staff, the main responsibility is to store and cook the rice properly so that the added nutrition actually reaches the child's plate.