Akshaya Patra Fortifies Rice

							For Immediate Release

Contact: Binali Suhandani, Akshaya Patra Foundation, 098980 31919 binali@akshayapatra.org
         Shridhar Venkat, Akshaya Patra Foundation, 09343866379 shridhar.venkat@akshayapatra.org



India’s largest school meal program, Akshaya Patra,
to boost health of beneficiaries with new fortified rice
Bangalore, July 27, 2010 – Akshaya Patra Foundation, India’s leading implementer of the Mid-Day Meal
Scheme and the largest school feeding program in the world, today announces it will begin fortifying its
rice-based meals with iron, a micronutrient critical for children’s physical growth and cognitive
development. Introduction efforts will begin in early August in Akshaya Patra’s Rajasthan kitchens,
bringing the benefits of rice fortification to more than 185,000 schoolchildren each day for the entire 2010-
2011 school year.

Micronutrient deficiencies can compromise children’s immune systems as well as their physical and
cognitive development during formative years of growth. Fortification of staple foods is considered to be
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one of the most cost-effective strategies for addressing micronutrient malnutrition—a hidden hunger
characterized by a lack of essential vitamins and minerals like iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin A.'

“Akshaya Patra believes that no child in India should be deprived of education because of hunger.
Fortifying our rice-based meals with iron-enriched Ultra Rice to prevent iron deficiency in children furthers
our commitment to their future and will ensure that they have the best chance to grow and thrive,” said
Chanchalapathi Das, Vice Chairman of Akshaya Patra. Mr. Das first learned about Ultra Rice in 2009 at
the prestigious Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2009 Annual Meeting, where Ultra Rice was highlighted.
Regular consumption of fortified foods offers a consistent means of delivering micronutrients to the body
and helps to prevent micronutrient deficiencies from occurring in the first place. The government-supplied
                                                                                                   ®
rice served by Akshaya Patra’s Rajasthan kitchens will be fortified with iron-enriched Ultra Rice grains to
bridge gaps in dietary intake and prevent malnutrition. Ultra Rice is a cost-effective and culturally
appropriate rice fortification technology developed by PATH, a global health nonprofit organization based
in Seattle. Infinity Infotech parks limited, based in Kolkata, who are one of the patrons of TAPF, are
supporting this fortification initiative.



Currently, Akshaya Patra provides midday meals to more than 1.2 million children each day through 18
kitchens located in seven states throughout India. Its innovative, award-winning mechanized kitchen
facilities enable the cost-effective and hygienic delivery of high quality midday meals. An AC Nielson
Impact Study of the program showed the provision of midday meals improved school enrollment,

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    Copenhagen Consensus 2008 Outcomes. Copenhagen Consensus website. Available at:
http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/Default.aspx?ID=953.
®
    Ultra Rice is a registered trademark in the United States of Bon Dente International, Inc.
retention rates, and classroom performance. A strategic intervention addressing cycles of poverty and
hunger, the program aims to expand its reach to five million children by 2020.



About Akshaya Patra
Akshaya Patra, the world’s largest nongovernmental organization (NGO) school meal program, provides
freshly prepared, wholesome meals to over one million underserved children daily in over 6,000 schools
throughout India. These meals help children to stay in school and provide them with the necessary
nutrients they need to develop their cognitive abilities to focus on learning. Akshaya Patra operates
centralized kitchens in urban and suburban areas of India that are designed for optimal quality, improved
efficiencies, and minimal cost. Facilities consist of a series of mechanized steam-heated cauldrons,
custom-built to cook nutrient-rich, native food most appreciated by children on a long-term basis.
Mechanization also minimizes human handling of food to ensure high standards of hygiene and
cleanliness. Steam heating accelerates the cooking process, enabling Akshaya Patra to prepare large
scale meals in less than five hours. Centralized kitchens are located in Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad,
Mangalore, Mysore, Bellary, Jaipur, Nathdwara, Puri, Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad, Vrindavan, Hyderabad,
Visakapatanam and Bhilai. For more information, visit www.akshayapatra.org.

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