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Indiamix Development of a low cost blended food ForewordThe Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme is a major safety net targeted to the less developed areas and represents the largest effort in the world to improve a population’s nutritional standards. ICDS provides a package of nutrition, education and health services for women, children below six years of age and adolescent girls. Food is an important incentive for participation in ICDS programme. The supplementary food component of ICDS is the programme’s largest expenditure and the sole responsibility of State Governments. Efficient use of the food allocation is essential. A tasty and cost-effective food not only meets the nutritional requirements of the participants; it also increases the number of feeding days, increases participation in the programme, and enhances its health and development impacts. In 1994 the World Food Programme, realizing that a reduction in funding for provision of food aid to India was inevitable and being interested in promoting sustainability and local capacity, examined the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of producing in India a nutritious supplementary food for ICDS. The result of WFP’s investigations is ‘Indiamix’, a specially designed, wholesome, low cost food that provides all required supplementary nutrients. The most important advantage of Indiamix is its lower cost per participant for the same nutritional benefit as imported supplementary foods, like Corn Soya Blend. This document provides useful information on this experience to enable wider use of products like ‘Indiamix’. We appreciate the support of various collaborators on this initiative. They include the Department of Women and Child Development (Government of India and Government of Rajasthan); Food and Nutrition Board (Government of India and Rajasthan State offices); Modern Food Industries, Ltd.; Indopol Flour Mills; JVS Foods Ltd.; ICDS functionaries (Central, Rajasthan State, and District levels); SGS India Ltd.; and the financial assistance from the Governments of the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and the European Commission. Our thanks are due to Laura Lorenz Hess, for her valuable assistance in documenting the experience and the team at New Concept Information Systems Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi for the design, layout and printing. And finally, I would like to express particular appreciation for the work of both Dr. Purnima Kashyap, Mr. J.K. Batra, Programme Officers, (WFP-India) and Dr. Pieter Dijkhuizen, Public Health Nutritionist (WFP-Rome) whose leadership and tireless efforts on developing and carrying out this project have been a major force in its success.
Angela Van Rynbach, Country Director WFP, New Delhi, India March 1997 Abbreviations
Nutritive value of Indiamix*Indiamix is made from wheat (40%), maize (40%), and full-fat soyabean (20%) and has the following nutritive value:
* after folification Executive SummaryIn India, about 360 million people, or 40 per cent of the population, live in chronic poverty, consuming less than 80 per cent of minimum food requirements. India is classified by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) as a low income food deficit country. It has the largest number of poor, food-insecure people in the world. Malnourishment among children is considered a sensitive and pragmatic indicator of a population’s welfare. At present 53.4 per cent of India’s children are malnourished, and more than one-third of the world’s malnourished children live in India. Ideally, vitamins and minerals are provided through the diet. But poverty prevents people from eating foods that would give them the calories, protein and micronutrients they need. Providing these nutrients in a supplementary food is a temporary measure, of course, but an important one at the critical times of life, i.e., between the ages of four months and two years, during pregnancy and while nursing. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme is a major safety net targeted to disadvantaged areas and represents the largest effort in the world to improve a population’s nutritional standards. ICDS provides a package of nutrition, education and health services for women, children below six years of age and adolescent girls. The food is an important incentive for participation in ICDS programme. ICDS is a centrally sponsored programme for which the Central Government provides 45 per cent of the funding and the State Governments provide 55 per cent. State Governments implement the programme. ICDS now operates in 400,000 of the country’s 600,000 villages, covers 3,946 projects, reaches 17.8 million children and 3.8 million women, and reaches about 60 to 75 per cent of the population from disadvantaged communities. It is now proposed to cover the entire country by mid 1997 (i.e. 5,614 projects covering approx. 60 million beneficiaries). The supplementary food component of ICDS is the programme’s largest expenditure and the sole responsibility of the State Governments. Efficient use of the food allocation is essential. A food that is tasty and cost-effective, would meet the nutritional requirements of the participants, increase the number of feeding days and increase participation in, and impact of the programme. The ICDS nutrition component receives substantial support from the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) and World Food Programme (WFP). As of June 1996, WFP and CARE collaborate with State Governments to provide supplementary food to about half of all ICDS participants in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. The Corn Soya Blend (CSB) provided to ICDS by WFP and CARE is in turn provided to them by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In 1994, WFP examined the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of producing in India a tasty, nutritious supplementary food for ICDS. The result of WFP’s investigations is ‘Indiamix’, a specially designed, wholesome, low cost food that provides all required supplementary nutrients. Furthermore, it is appropriate both for ICDS on-the-spot feeding and take-home rations. Manufactured for ICDS projects in Rajasthan under WFP auspices, Indiamix is composed of roasted, milled maize (40 per cent), wheat (40 per cent) and full-fat soya (20 per cent) fortified with vitamins and minerals. This mix is comparable to CSB, a nutritious supplementary food that has been used throughout the world for more than 20 years and is produced in larger quantity than all other types of blended foods together. The most important advantage of using Indiamix is its lower cost per participant for the same nutritional benefits as imported CSB. In fact, Indiamix provides better levels of nutrition than any other product of the same cost. Additional advantages include short cooking time, lower fuel costs, flexibility in preparation, palatability, reduction in transport costs and increased demand for local agricultural output. In addition, Indiamix has a long shelf-life, it reduces the work load for Anganwadi Workers, and it provides nutritional benefits for all participating ICDS beneficiaries, including breastfed infants. Twenty one Indiamix recipes have been developed and standardised without using oil or fat, due to the oil-rich nature of the full-fat soya. All recipes are liked by the participants and are feasible and easy to prepare at the centres.
Potentially, the Indiamix project has been more than just manufacture and supply of a beneficial food. Indiamix can also be a tool for development. For example, it could have a powerful impact on improving the health and nutritional status of breastfed infants aged four to six months when combined with social marketing efforts on complementary feeding and nutrition health education. Commercialisation of Indiamix would make a low cost complementary food available to the general population. Indiamix could encourage greater community participation in ICDS. Local variations of Indiamix, based on local crop availability and local taste, could be developed for different states. Finally, Indiamix could be a way for various international, national, state, local and community-level development partners to join together to have a long term, sustainable impact on the health of India’s women and children. Background - Poverty and Malnutrition among Indian Women and ChildrenIndia has, since independence, made steady progress in all fields of development. Yet, about 360 million of its people live in chronic poverty.1 India is classified by FAO as a low income food deficit country. It has the largest number of poor, food-insecure people in the world.2 The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report 1996, indicates that 38 per cent of India’s urban population and 49 per cent of its rural people, live in poverty.
Approximately one-third of all babies in India are born with low birth weight. In all countries, low birth weight is the single best predictor of malnutrition. Low birth weight indicates that the infant was malnourished in the womb and/or that the mother was malnourished during her own infancy, childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy. After low birth weight, the next critical stage in a child’s nutritional progress occurs between the ages of four and nine months. This is the time when the mother’s milk alone is no longer adequate and the introduction of other foods, complementary to breastmilk, should begin. In the Indian State of Rajasthan, however, only about nine per cent of breastfed infants are receiving additional foods at this age. World Food Programme’s Action Research Project (1994), carried out in the districts of Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Banswara and Dungarpur found that only 1.8 per cent of mothers initiated complementary feeding for their child before the sixth month. Almost three-fourths began complementary feeding after nine months. Most began complementary feeding only after 12 months, and some delayed until 18 months. “Almost certainly, therefore, the significant gap between the time when complementary foods are needed and when they are provided is setting the great majority of infants in Rajasthan, and in many other parts of India, on the road to malnutrition.” What is India Doing About the Problem? Poverty alleviation through employment creation and provision of essential social needs have been main objectives of the GOI for more than two decades. Government’s poverty-alleviation schemes include the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) and the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS), which provide wage employment to those living below the poverty line. Schemes to meet social needs include nutritional support to primary education, which boosts universalisation of primary education by promoting enrolment, retention and regular attendance while improving the nutritional status of school-going children. And since 1975 the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has maintained buffer stocks of foodgrains, that are used, among other things, to supply a vast Public Distribution System (PDS) of foodgrains sold at subsidised prices.
ICDS is a centrally sponsored programme for which the Central Government provides 45 per cent of the funding and the State Governments provide 55 per cent. The Central Government determines policy and sets the norms for the programme, staff, training, and food allocation for ICDS nationwide. In each state, the State Government implements the programme and provides the supplementary nutrition component. ICDS now operates in 400,000 of the country’s 600,000 villages,8 covers 3,946 projects, reaches 17.8 million children and 3.8 million women, and reaches about 60 to 75 per cent of the population from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other disadvantaged communities. It is anticipated that by the middle of 1997, ICDS will cover approximately 60 million beneficiaries in 5,614 projects. In most villages, the Anganwadi Centre is an important focal point for coordination of development activities in the community for women, infants and children. ICDS programme at the village level are managed by the Anganwadi (courtyard) Worker. She is usually married and living in the village. She may or may not be more than functionally literate. She receives a minimal monthly honorarium for her work. She teaches pre-school classes, supervises the supplementary feeding, leads health, hygiene and nutrition training, weighs babies, coordinates with the local Auxiliary Nurse Midwife and representatives from other government sectors, keeps track of the supplementary food supplies, and fills out up to a dozen registers on centre attendance, immunizations, inventories, etc. For the daily cooking of supplementary food she is assisted by a Helper. Community participation in the programme is sporadic. Supplementary Nutrition Provided Through ICDS The State Governments must meet the costs of the supplementary food compo- nent, i.e., the cost of the food, its transportation and storage, condiments, fuel, and equipment. The norm for the cost of the food component is one rupee per supplementary feeding per beneficiary. The Central Government allocates funds on an annual basis to the state-level ICDS programme, which then allocates funding in the state and manages local ICDS operations. The food is an important incentive for participation in ICDS programme. An Anganwadi Worker in rural Tonk District, Rajasthan, said: “The slightly better-off families send their children to the Centre for education. For the poorer families, their first priority is to send their children to get the food provided here. These children don’t come when there is no food.” For the standard ICDS ration, the most appropriate food input, as set by the Indian Food and Nutrition Board, is a food that meets the following criteria: provision of 300 kilocalories of energy and 10 grams of protein. In conformity with the international standards for blended food for infants and young children, WFP has recommended micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) enrichment and adequate fat content to facilitate vitamin A absorption. State Governments provide supplementary nutrition in various forms, including a raw, roasted or extruded food. In some states the food is prepared at the Anganwadi Centre for on-the-spot feeding of children aged three to six years participating in the pre-school programme. In others it is given in a Ready-To-Eat (RTE) form. Take-home rations are provided for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under three years of age. The programme of take-home rations, combined with nutrition and health education for pregnant women and nursing mothers, was initiated due to growing recognition of the importance of providing complementary foods to the breastfed child. Due to their small size and feeding capacity, infants cannot consume their daily supplementary ration in one meal at the Anganwadi Centre. Take-home rations give their mothers the opportunity to feed them throughout the day. Due to their agricultural and other work commitments, few of the poor, rural women associated with ICDS have the time to visit the centre on a daily basis. Thus, even if they share the take-home rations with the others in their family, the total ration of food that they and their infants receive is greater over a month than before, because earlier their attendance at the centre was so low. It also helps the Anganwadi Worker to concentrate on pre-school activities. Cost Constraints in Providing Supplementary Nutrition The food component is the largest single expenditure in ICDS. Efficient use of the food allocation is a prerequisite for sustainability and expansion of the programme. However, many states are unable to budget adequate funding to maintain the level of beneficiaries at the end of the plan period. Budget constraints often result in reduction of rations and feeding days. In fact, lack of funds are the main limiting factor for expansion of ICDS, which particularly in poorer states still covers only up to half of the target group. Support for ICDS Nutrition Component from International Agencies Research into creating nutritious, cost-effective food for supplementary feeding programmes began in the 1960s and 70s when foods such as corn, wheat, milk, soyabean and oil were being produced in surplus quantities in Europe and North America. WFP has always based the composition of the food on the nutritional requirements of children and women. The goal was to provide a nutritious product that would be affordable for governments to provide or families to purchase to feed children, in particular, at nutritionally critical times in their lives. The original food designed included dried milk and was combined with oil. Over time, as these particular foods have shortened in supply and/or increased dramatically in price, they have been eliminated and others substituted, in order to continue providing good nutrition at an affordable price. One result of this 20 years of research and testing is CSB, a food of unsurpassed nutritional value, cost effectiveness and versatility. CSB is a blend of precooked maize and soya and fortified with micronutrients. CSB’s cereal component (around 80 per cent), is usually maize. Research has yielded other blended food formulas. Other recommended cereals include white sorghum, dehulled barley, and millet. The pulse component (around 20 per cent) is usually soyabean, but could be chickpeas or any other pulse or oilseed. The cereals provide carbohydrates (energy) and protein. The pulse provides protein. Soyabean also provides fat (energy), which could instead be supplied by any oilseed, such as groundnuts, dehulled sunflower seeds or sesame. When sugar is added to the blend, it replaces an equivalent amount of cereal. CSB is produced in large quantities for supplementary feeding programmes throughout the world. In many countries, local CSB-substitutes are manufactured under WFP, UNICEF and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) auspices. The ICDS nutrition component receives substantial support from CARE and WFP. As of June 1996, in Kerala, the nutrition component was 91 per cent supported by WFP. In the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh the support from WFP and CARE accounts for 65 and 61 per cent respectively. Uttar Pradesh and Assam receive support to an extent of 26 per cent each. Together, WFP and CARE provide supplementary food in collaboration with State Governments to about half of all the vulnerable mothers, children and adolescent girls participating in ICDS in these states. CSB, provided to ICDS by CARE and WFP is received from USAID. Here in India, WFP, in collaboration with the Rajasthan State Government, provides a local CSB equivalent, called ‘Indiamix’ to the ICDS projects they support in Rajasthan. The Rajasthan State Government is presently exploring production of a similar product, to be named ‘Rajasthan Mix’, to the projects it supports on its own. In Uttar Pradesh, WFP is providing a modified version of Indiamix.
Indiamix Project - The Evolution of IndiamixEfficient use of the food allocation, and provision of a food that is tasty yet cost-effective, are essential for meeting the nutritional requirements of the participants, increasing the number of feeding days and increasing the participation in and therefore the impact of the ICDS programme. Budget constraints are not restricted to Indian State Governments. Most national governments, international donor agencies and non-governmental organizations are also reducing their funding for development activities, including provision of food for supplementary nutrition programmes. In 1994, WFP, realizing that a resource crunch and thus a reduction in funding for provision of food aid to India was inevitable, examined the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of producing a tasty, nutritious supplementary food in India, for ICDS. The goal of WFP is to produce a nutritious product that is affordable for governments to feed children and mothers at nutritionally critical times in their lives. The result of WFP’s investigations into local manufacture of a CSB equivalent is ‘Indiamix’, a low cost, precooked, nutritious commodity appropriate both for ICDS on-the-spot feeding and take-home rations. The most important advantage of using Indiamix is its lower cost per participant for the same nutritional benefit as imported foods. Indiamix provides better levels of nutrition than any other product of the same cost. Additional advantages, discussed in greater length below, include short cooking time, lower fuel costs, flexibility in preparation, and palatability. Furthermore, since the food is manufactured closer to the points of supply and utilisation, transport charges are reduced and the local demand for agricultural output by local producers is increased. In addition, Indiamix has a long shelf-life, it reduces the work load for Anganwadi Workers, and it provides nutritional benefits for all participating ICDS beneficiaries, including adults, children and breastfed infants. And lastly, using one single commodity cuts down on shipping and administrative costs and local manufacture increases local employment and incomes. What is Indiamix Indiamix is a specially designed, wholesome supplementary food that provides the required calories, protein and micronutrients for ICDS participants. Manufactured for ICDS projects initially in Rajasthan under WFP auspices, Indiamix is composed of roasted, milled maize (40 per cent), wheat (40 per cent) and full-fat soya (20 per cent) fortified with micronutrients. As mentioned above, this mix is comparable to CSB, a nutritious supplementary food that has been used throughout the world for more than 20 years. There are two effective
manufacturing processes for CSB and similar supplementary foods: roasting, as
is done in India now, and extrusion. WFP initiated Indiamix is a slightly granular flour, light yellow in colour, with a pleasant roasted aroma and a neutral taste. The oil contained in the whole, full-fat soyabean is sufficient to safeguard absorption of vitamins. With respect to energy density and tastiness of recipe preparations, additional oil is not necessary. Indiamix mixes well in liquids and cooks up quickly. WFP contracts local manufacturers to produce Indiamix. The manufacturer purchases the raw materials, roasts the cereals and soya, mixes the roasted cereals and pulse together, and mills, or grinds them. The flour-like product is then mixed with a vitamin/mineral premix supplement and packed in polypropylene bags with moisture-proof polyethylene liners. Each liner contains 25 kg of product. The liners are sealed and the bags sewed. The raw materials for each batch of blended food are inspected by a Registered Qualified Food Laboratory (RQFL) before the manufacturer begins processing. A batch, ideally, should be the quantity needed for one month’s production. The RQFL tests the raw material for aflatoxin, heavy metals and pesticides. The RQFL returns to inspect the processed blended food before shipping and gives a certificate of quality. The RQFL tests the final product for its calories, protein, moisture, and microbilogical contamination, and randomly tests the product for its vitamin and mineral content. Indiamix Pilot Project: Rajasthan In 1995, WFP began local
manufacture of Indiamix for use in ICDS in the seven Rajasthan
districts where it supports the supplementary food component. · Indiamix is a nutritious food supplement which provides almost one-third of the daily nutritional requirements per beneficiary, and it is a good food for use in ICDS. It contains 18 per cent protein, 7 per cent fat, and 390 Kcal per 100 grams. It also provides, in fair amount, vitamin A (carotene form), thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, calcium and iron, even when not fortified. · Indiamix has a long shelf-life, even under conditions similar to those in villages. At the time of publication of this booklet, the Indiamix manufactured for Rajasthan in January 1996 was still good after 10 months’ storage. Testing continues on a fortnightly basis, and it is expected that shelf-life will still be good · after one year. The studies check for rancidity, physical examination, microbiological growth and moisture level. · Twenty one recipes were developed and standardised without using additional oil or fat. · All the recipes demons- trated were liked by the vast majority of participants of all categories. · All the recipes demonstrated were considered feasible and easy to prepare at the centres, given availability of fuel, utensils, salt and jaggery, as provided by the State Governments under their ICDS budgets or by the community. · All Anganwadi Workers and Helpers were convinced that a variety of recipes can be prepared with Indiamix without the use of additional oil or fat.
Reactions from Anganwadi Workers, Helpers and Beneficiaries In discussions carried out before the training, the College found that the majority of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers did not believe it was possible to prepare many, if at all any, recipes using Indiamix without also using additional oil or fat. Their attitude changed dramatically after the training. Following are quotes from the training participants: AWWs
and Helpers Women
Beneficiaries
Basic Indiamix Advantage: Low Cost The most important advantage of Indiamix is its low cost for nutritional value: approximately US $322 a metric ton. This ex-factory cost is almost the same as the ex-factory cost of CSB in the United States, and is lower than the ex-factory cost of CSB manufactured in Europe and Africa. In the U.S., the low price achieved stems from the automated efficiency of their manufacturing units, and the large quantities of their production, which together off-set the higher price of their raw materials. In Europe, the higher price (about one and a half times the Indian ex-factory price) stems from higher labour costs and higher raw material prices. In Africa, more expensive raw materials and a less efficient manufacturing system drive the price up. For local consumption, then, Indiamix has the advantages of both a low ex-factory cost and the elimination of international transport charges. Based on the present allocation by GOI for supplementary food for ICDS, and accounting for transport, condiment and cooking fuel charges, the total local costs for food may not exceed Re.1 per day, per participant. Indiamix just meets this requirement. Imported CSB costs US $150 per metric ton for international shipping. In addition, it must then be transported from the port of entry to the state where it will be consumed. For landlocked states, in particular, in-country transport expenses increase the cost of providing this type of food to ICDS projects. The cost advantages of using Indiamix continue at the Anganwadi Centres. For example, the short cooking time means that less fuel is required for preparation, thus reducing the state’s costs. Furthermore, since additional oil is not necessary, the costs of this second commodity and the effort needed to keep track of it are eliminated. Additional Indiamix Advantages ·
· Safety: A common problem with supplementary feeding of infants, in particular, is the use of unsafe water. The five minutes required for cooking Indiamix means that potentially harmful bacteria are killed, thus making the food safe even for complementary feeding of breastfed infants. · Digestibility: The high nutritional value and digestibility of Indiamix due to its pre-cooking are major advantages. They make Indiamix a superb supplementary food for all ages, including breastfed infants, their mothers, pregnant women, and older children. · Availability: One problem faced by ICDS projects is continuity of supply of the food. This problem relates also to storage of the supplies when they arrive, and preservation and shelf-life. Food manufactured closer to home can be shipped more frequently, in smaller batches, thus reducing storage needs, eliminating shelf-life problems, and ensuring continuity of supplies. · Nutrition education: Indiamix lends itself well to the nutrition education component of ICDS. While teaching the participants new recipes, for example, or while feeding the pre-school children with different preparations, the Anganwadi Worker has an opportunity to explain the nutritional benefits of the added ingredients, such as buttermilk and vegetables. The variety of preparations enhances interest in the education as well as the food. · Fortification: Although some of the State Governments fortify the food they provide, it does not fill the nutritional gap between requirements and inputs for ICDS participants. The level of proteins, vitamins and minerals of Indiamix make it a higher quality food supplement than those now being provided by State Governments alone. This is particularly true when comparing cost vs. nutrition. Providing the necessary nutrients in a supplementary food is a temporary measure, of course, but an important one at the critical times of life, i.e., between the ages of four months and two years, during pregnancy and while lactating. · Local processing: Indiamix can be manufactured in large scale factories as well as at the community level. This flexibility of possible production sources creates opportunities both for community-level income generating schemes and involvement of the community and NGOs in ICDS. Combined with social marketing efforts, manufacture and sale of this nutritious food could also lead to expanded income generation opportunities in rural areas, increased awareness of the importance of complementary feeding of infants, and improved health and nutrition for disadvantaged women and children. · Standard approach: At the present time, the food provided by most State Governments to their ICDS projects is not standardised either throughout a given state or between states. Using one, locally-manufactured product, consistently available, would help the Central and State Governments standardise the training and orientation they provide to ICDS staff, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers and improve project management and increase cost efficiency. · Local adjustment: The composition of Indiamix can be adjusted depending on the ingredients most available in a given state and the taste of the local population. It is the nutritional levels Indiamix provides, and its low cost, that are important, not the specific composition of its ingredients. In any given state, the cereals, pulses or oilseeds available might be different from the maize, wheat and soyabean now being used in production of Indiamix for Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Research into the best local mix, based on cost, nutritional and taste considerations, can help any state develop the best food for its ICDS projects. Furthermore, keeping costs within the set norms will help any state increase the number of ICDS feeding days in a year, with a nutritionally superior food for the price.
Getting Started with Indiamix - Collaborative efforts in the Indiamix projectDevelopment, testing, production, transport, distribution and utilisation of a local supplementary food, require successful collaboration among a variety of development partners. In the Indiamix Pilot Project, Rajasthan, for example, the Food and Nutrition Board (Government of India and Rajasthan State offices) and the Central Government, the Rajasthan State Government, World Food Programme, the College of Home Science of Rajasthan Agricultural University (Udaipur Campus), ICDS field-level functionaries, an independent quality control laboratory, international donors, beneficiaries, and local food manufacturers all made contributions essential to the success of this project. In any given state, the combination of collaborators involved in an ‘Indiamix’ project could vary, but the primary goal would remain the same: providing a cost-effective, nutritious and palatable food to ICDS participants. Secondary goals, such as commercialisation of the food among the general public, and production at the community level, would follow. Stages in the Collaborative Effort A list of the various stages in development, testing, manufacture, transport, and utilisation of a local food for ICDS follows. This list is based on WFP’s experience with the Indiamix Pilot Project in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and experience with locally manufactured supplementary foods in Africa and South America. · Develop a supplementary food using locally available cereals, pulses and, possibly, oilseeds, while keeping in mind local taste preferences, nutritive requirements and costs. · Test the food’s nutritive value and shelf-life. Test its palatability with local ICDS field staff and participants. · Create awareness of the advantages of this food among ICDS State Government headquarters staff, field staff, participants and communities. · Develop recipes using the food, train field staff and participants in cooking them, and provide a recipe book in simple language as the backup. · Contract local manufacturers to produce the food in quantities needed. · Contract for its transport from factory to district-level storage facilities, and again from district to block to Anganwadi level. · Contract with an independent organization for quality control testing of both the raw ingredients and the finished product. · Provide cooking equipment, condiments and fuel to Anganwadi Centres. · Generate interest and pride in the community for donations of condiments, vegetables, curd and buttermilk to the Anganwadi Centre feeding programme. · Carry out social marketing efforts to increase awareness of the importance of complementary feeding of breastfed infants from four months of age and nutrition health education. · Collaborate with NGOs and community groups to manufacture this researched food for local consumption. · Commercialise the food as a low cost complementary food for breastfed infants. The Rajasthan Indiamix Pilot Project Collaborators Below is an elaborated list of the various organisations that collaborated to make the Indiamix Pilot Project a success in Rajasthan, and the kinds of functions they performed. In any given state, the collaborators could change, but the functions performed would remain the same. Food and Nutrition Board (FNB): FNB (Jaipur and Udaipur offices), Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India developed several tasty, nutritious recipes that could be prepared with Indiamix, using equipment available at many Anganwadi Centres. FNB demonstrated these recipes for ICDS field functionaries and representatives from the Department of Women and Child, Government of Rajasthan (Jaipur) during WFP-organized training in 1995. The demonstrations inspired State Government to take interest in using Indiamix in the ICDS projects supported by WFP. Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Rajasthan: As the State Government department responsible for the ICDS food component in Rajasthan, the support of this department was essential to the project. The Department of Women and Child Development was a major force in success of the transition to Indiamix. Furthermore, the Government of Rajasthan has now begun exploring the possibility of manufacturing a local variation of Indiamix, called ‘Rajasthan Mix’, for use in some of the districts where it is solely responsible for the food component of ICDS. ICDS Field Staff: With support from Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and Supervisors, the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers have been important collaborators in the success of changing to a new supplementary food for ICDS projects. It was their enthusiastic response to the food that generated support among ICDS government staff for the new food. The participatory training provided under the project was an influential factor in project success. The interest on the part of ICDS field staff in preparing different recipes, encouraging community involvement in provision of condiments and vegetables, and using the food as a nutrition education tool was vital to project success and impact. Their initiative in developing and trying out local recipes, and then demonstrating them during the Nutrition Week celebrated in September 1995 was an example in itself. World Food Programme: WFP carried out a study exploring the possibilities of manufacturing a CSB equivalent in India which looked at the most appropriate mix of grains and cereals for local palates and how to go about getting started with local production. WFP then worked with FNB and CHS to develop recipes, and with the Government of Rajasthan to coordinate the transition to the new food. Other WFP activities have included carrying out a project with CHS to test Indiamix shelf-life, examine its nutritional aspects, provide training to field staff in recipe preparation, and working with local manufacturers. To facilitate AWWs and Helpers in making recipes, a simple recipe booklet for village use is now under print. College of Home Science, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Udaipur Campus: Techno Feasibility Study undertaken by CHS on behalf of WFP was useful to assess the nutrient composition, shelf-life and provide training to ICDS field functionaries and mothers in 10 WFP assisted ICDS districts. Manufacturers: Manufacturers of Indiamix are vital collaborators in the continuity of product supply and product quality. The manufacturer requires a basic infrastructure (land, building, water, electricity and storage capacity) of hygienic conditions near his supply source. A manufacturer contract should encompass purchase of raw ingredients, quality control testing, roasting, milling, and packaging. A contract typically lasts for three to six months, renewable for an additional period. The contract price of the product per metric ton is set for the duration of the contract, after which it is adjusted up or down, depending on the current costs of raw materials. As for shipment of the product, a contract with the manufacturer can cover transport from the factory to the field. If not, a separate contract must be made with a transporter.
Generally speaking, a contract for producing supplementary food is not as profitable for the manufacturer as a contract producing food products for commercial enterprises. However, there are some distinct advantages. First, the quantities required are considerable. Thus, a manufacturer can use factory facilities at full capacity while making only one type of product, with a single type of packaging. Second, prompt purchase of the product is more or less guaranteed. Some commercial clients, on the other hand, might delay in picking up and paying for the product. Possible disadvantages include: heavy working capital requirements, a relatively low profit margin, unexpected increases in costs of raw materials, unreliability of transporters, and potential delays in payment, particularly from State Governments, if their budgets are blocked. In the case of the
Indiamix Pilot Project, the original manufacturer was flexible and helpful in
producing relatively small test batches of the product during the development
phase. Without his collaboration in this, the project would not have moved
forward as success- fully as it did. Manufacturer Requirements One of the most important
steps in getting started with an Indiamix Project is to identify and work
with a manufacturer. Indiamix can be made by large scale manufacturers and by
small scale, community level ones. To date, only large scale manufacturers
are producing Indiamix. WFP is currently developing a pilot project for
community-level manufacture of Indiamix in the State of Madhya Pradesh. A
discussion of this pilot project is in Chapter 5: The Next Step. · Experience in handling grains, food products and consumer products. · Net worth, funds liquidity and capability to raise funds. · Willingness to make financial and personal commitments towards the venture. · Existing infrastructure, including power line, water supply, roads, banks, transportation, thermal energy supply, staff and goods. · Status of land: owned or leased, agricultural or industrial, landfill or plains, and existence of boundary wall or fence. · Condition of building(s), including size of built-up area, plans, roofing type, floor details, value estimate, presence of tenants, and existence of neighbourhood industry producing hazardous fume, chemical dust, water contamination, etc. · Type of processing capability and plant capacity per hour. · Source of raw materials. · Source of packaging materials. A large scale manufacturer requires the following equipment: a cleaner, de-stoner, roaster or extruder, cooler, elevator and silos, hammer mill, mixer and bagger. Manufacturing Steps The first step, of course, is purchase of the raw materials, which, in the case of Indiamix, are maize, wheat and soyabean. When the manufacturer has purchased enough raw material for a ‘batch’, which ideally means the amount required for between one month and six weeks of production, he contacts the WFP hired, independent quality control agency to come, examine the material, and take a sample, to certify that it is of the correct quality. The remaining steps in the roasting process of manufacturing Indiamix are discussed below. Please note that the manufacturer processes each ingredient separately until they are mixed together for grinding, fortification and bagging. First, the raw material is poured into a feeder and lifted by elevator to the cleaner, which removes all debris larger than the grains themselves. The cleaned cereal or soya is then transported to the de-stoner, which removes all grain-size stones. The clean material then travels by ramp to the roaster, and from there to the cooler. The cooled material is lifted by elevator and stored in silos until ready to be milled. The three Indiamix ingredients are later blended together in the correct proportions in large bins and carried by elevator to the mill. The milled product is then lifted by air to the sifting machine, which removes any bits that have not been milled to the correct size and separates them for re-grinding. The ground product moves to the test dryer, which eliminates all possibility of insect and insect egg infestation. The treated product is then fortified by the addition of a powdered vitamin and mineral supplement, and the fortified product is packed in polyethylene liners, which are sealed. The liners are placed in polypropylene bags, which are weighed, folded, closed and double stitched. The bags are then stacked for storage until the entire batch is ready for shipment. Instead of roasting, the ingredients can be processed through extrusion cooking. This modern method requires less energy and gives a better quality product. Specialized equipment is needed for this process. It consists of a screw in a barrel with a small aperture. The high pressure increases the temperature and the ingredients are thoroughly cooked in a very short time, preserving flavour and vitamins. The product from the extruder consists of small pellets which are cooled and milled, similar to the roasting process. The manufacturer notifies the quality control agency and the client when the batch is ready for quality control testing and shipment. Their representatives visit the manufacturer at the same time. The quality control agent takes a sample from the batch for testing in the agency’s laboratory. Together the agent and the client observe the product being loaded for transport and certify that the quantity is correct. WFP is now shifting to production of Indiamix by the extrusion process.
The Next Step - Giving Indiamix a wider scopeIn and of itself, Indiamix is a tasty, nutritive, low cost supplementary food that improves the nutrition of ICDS participants, provides local markets for agricultural products, and increases demand for locally manufactured food. Potentially, an Indiamix project is more than just manufacture and supply of a beneficial food. Indiamix can also be a tool for development. The main difference between the Indiamix approach and previous approaches to improving the nutritional status of disadvantaged women, infants and children is the emphasis on sustainability. This is accomplished in two ways: either through development of financially self-supporting enterprises producing for local commercial and institutional markets; or through village processing with management support from the social sector. Community
level production of Indiamix would generate income and employment and encourage local
agricultural production. Combined with Commercialisation of Indiamix production would make a low cost complementary food available to the general population. Variations of Indiamix, based on local crop availability and local taste, could be developed for different states. Decentralised production of the developed food would create economically viable small and medium enterprises, generate local employment and increase local availability of an affordable complementary food. Indiamix could be an effective tool for encouraging greater community participation in ICDS, thus increasing the community sense of ownership in the programme and enhancing programme impact. And, finally, Indiamix could be a way for various international, national, state, local and community-level development partners to join together to have a long-term, sustainable impact on the health of India’s women and children. Manufacture of Indiamix at the Community Level
To lay the ground work for this project, women’s groups are being formed within the participating communities. They have started a bank savings group, which has given loans for small businesses and agricultural inputs that have had an outstanding repayment rate so far. The project will be working on capacity building and entrepreneurship skills, so that these women’s groups will be able to participate fully in the management of the unit and eventually manage it themselves. If this pilot project for community-level manufacture and marketing of Indiamix is successful, it will serve as a model for replication in rural areas all over India. Social Marketing Campaign to Improve Complementary Feeding Practices
A social marketing campaign takes the approach that the social objective of the fight against malnutrition is not the direct responsibility of the manufacturer or donors. Cooperation between producers and government or NGOs in social marketing effort to introduce and popularise low-cost weaning foods among lower-income consumers would create demand for the manufactured food. In such programmes, product promotion can be incorporated at little extra cost in the ongoing nutrition education activities of the Ministry of Health or nutrition extension programmes of NGOs. Cooperating producers could be guaranteed a market share by assigning them regions for exclusive distribution, using regular commercial distribution and marketing channels. Commercialisation of Indiamix The complementary foods currently available are priced well beyond the reach of three-fourths of India’s population. Large scale units could easily manufacture Indiamix in one kilogram packages for the general population, for hospitals, and even for neighbouring countries. Small to medium scale units can meet block, district or state-level demand for complementary foods. The price of a locally produced food would be much lower than the currently available commercial infant foods of a similar nutritive value—perhaps as low as between one-tenth the price. At present in many developing countries, commercial complementary foods of excellent quality—often imported—are available. However, because of sophisticated processing, expensive packaging, extensive promotion and advertising and solid profit margins, the prices of these products are generally in the order of 10 to 15 times the cost of the common staple food. This price is beyond the purchasing power of the majority of the population which spends already about 50-70 per cent of their income on common foods. As a result, only a limited high income group can afford these products. Lower income groups therefore generally have hardly any access to ready-made complementary foods.10 Low cost complementary foods, locally produced from indigenous ingredients, would be within the reach of lower income groups. Lasting improvement in child nutrition can only be achieved through overall and sustainable economic development of the low-income population combined with appropriate nutrition education. The primary objective of this market-oriented approach would be development of financially and technically sustainable enterprises which produce weaning foods for consumers in the lower income market segments, i.e., the ICDS market and the ‘main’ market. The overall benefits of commercialisation of Indiamix would be numerous: · increased demand for locally grown cereals and pulses · increased demand for locally manufactured food products · increased demand for locally manufactured food processing equipment · increased demand for locally manufactured packaging · employment creation · improved nutritional status of infant and young. Increasing Community Involvement in ICDS Numerous research reports and analysts have stated that local communities must become more involved in ICDS activities for the programme to be sustainable over the long term and have a lasting impact on people’s lives. The Indiamix Pilot Project in Rajasthan has been an effective tool for encouraging greater community participation. ICDS beneficiaries have participated actively in the training provided by the College of Home Science. They liked feeling involved in the programme not just as beneficiaries but as evaluators (of the food and recipes) and cooks.
Greater awareness of
nutrition by the community could It is easy to say, as many people do, that increasing community participation in ICDS is difficult, if not impossible. But WFP’s action research on infant feeding and child care found that community map making, community problem solving, and participatory research into local infant feeding and child rearing practices, increased women’s participation in ICDS activities. The action research project further more, changed the participating women’s behaviour. By the end of the project, they understood the importance of early introduction of complementary foods and their link with a child’s weight. They had internalised the need for growth monitoring. In addition, the number of children attending pre-school classes had increased. But the basic and perhaps most important change in these women was increased confidence. Childhood malnutrition is generally related to a shortage of food in the family as a whole. However, the specific problem of complementary feeding is not usually so much a consequence of food shortage in the family. Rather it is a cultural problem of intra-family distribution and attitudes toward child care, particularly toward complementary feeding practices. Most of ICDS participants are rural, illiterate women who have had little contact with the outside world. Age-old superstitions interfere in basic child care. The participatory activities of the action research project gave these women the confidence to adapt their traditional child care behaviour. Programme using Indiamix from large scale manufactures or those that use food manufactured at the community level, have the potential to increase the child care and nutrition knowledge of rural women. Developing Local Variations of Indiamix The composition of
Indiamix now in use in Rajasthan is maize (40 per cent), wheat (40 per cent)
and full-fat soyabean (20 per cent). Wheat, maize and soyabean are produced
in Rajasthan and are consumed already by the local population. Thus, the
composition of Indiamix is pleasing to local taste. The research would then be followed by field testing, testing of the shelf-life, development of recipes, and training of field functionaries and participants in recipe preparation. A further stage would be development of local capacity to manufacture the food. Conclusion Working together on the Indiamix project, India’s Central and State Governments, World Food Programme, international donors, food manufacturers, ICDS field functionaries and ICDS participants took an important first step in improving the health and nutritional status of India’s women and children in a sustainable way. Future steps will need further collaboration. The potential benefits of expanded production and use of Indiamix are enormous. They range from reducing infant and child malnutrition, to increasing rural incomes, to encouraging confidence by participating ICDS mothers in the positive impact of change. Used as a tool for development, Indiamix has the potential to have several levels of impact. At a general level, the incidence of malnourishment of India’s children would reduce. At a community level, local incomes and confidence would increase. At a family level, greater awareness of nutritional needs and greater participation in development activities would help empower traditionally disadvantaged family members to take greater responsibility and action for their own development.
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