Avoid sugar in Nutrimix for anganwadi children: Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights

Expressing concern over the quantity of added sugar in Amrutham Nutrimix, a low-cost food supplement distributed through anganwadis in Keralam, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Women and Child Development (WCD) Director to completely avoid sugar in its manufacture.

It has also asked the official to set up a high-level committee to examine replacement of sugar with small amounts of jaggery and decide the nutritional components of the supplement scientifically.

The commission comprising member Shajesh Bhaskar P. was acting on a complaint by one Sahila K. of Palakkad that the Amrutham Nutrimix contained 20% sugar, which was against WHO guidelines. As the Nutrimix could possibly lead to lifestyle diseases, steps should be taken to distribute Nutrimix that did not contain sugar, the petitioner had said.

The WCD Director should pass on instructions on the age-appropriate amount of Nutrimix to be given to children on the basis of the Union Women and Child Development Ministry’s guidelines, the commission said.

Steps should also be taken to print on the label of children’s food, including Amrutham Nutrimix, the quantity of ingredients, including sugar; their nutritional information; and the amount that should be given to children.

Awareness should be created among anganwadi workers and beneficiaries directly, through Poshan Tracker app or WhatsApp groups of nutritional food distributed through the department; how to cook them; and the need for maintaining healthy habits, the commission said.

The WCD Director informed the commission that Amrutham Nutrimix was produced by Kudumbashree units on the basis of a formulation developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CPCRI), Kasaragod, to meet children’s daily requirements of calorie and protein.

The department was examining replacing sugar with jaggery in the Nutrimix, the WCD Director said in a report.

The commission said the WCD Director, Commissioner of Food Safety, and the Director of Health Services should scientifically examine if each ingredient, including sugar, in the current Nutrimix formulation was suited to children’s age and health.