Govt urged to supply unpolished rice under Anna Bhagya

Food expert K C Raghu said that Anna Bhagya being implemented by the state government is a very good scheme. However, the government should start giving unpolished rice (brown rice) which is enriched with protiens, fibre and minerals instead of the less nutritious white rice.

He said this delivering a talk on Food Security and Safety, organised as part of World Consumers Day at Tumkur University campus on Friday.

Food security is all about people having access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food available locally to meet their dietary needs for leading a healthy life. The food preferences differe from region to region. In Mangaluru, people prefer boiled rice while it is ragi in old mysuru region and jowar in north Karnataka districts, the food expert explained.

It is not right to distribute white rice in all regions. The white rice lacks fibre and nutritional value, he said.

The rice mill owners are willing to supply unpolished rice. By doing so they can save Rs 500 spent on polishing the rice. The rice mill owners have told me that they would supply brown rice or unpolished rice If the government issues order in this regard, Bengaluru-based food expert said. He added that even the government is planning to procure the unpolished rice and if it goes ahead with its plan, it would do a world of good to the poor and underprivileged families.

‘Sugar, new nicotine’
The food expert explened to the gathering about the ill-effects of sugar. He said, “25 grams of sugar a day is enough for a person. But the people consume far more than the recommended levels and become vulnerable to many diseases. These days the food scientists call sugar ‘new nicotine’.”

It is wrong to process Maida out of wheat. But they do convert wheat into Maida and use as many as 12 chemicals to make it fine and white. The consumption of which will lead to many diseases. Never fall for colour and taste when it comes to food, he advised.

Food and Civil Supplies Deputy Director Manteswamy called upon the people that if they find any lapses or shortcomings in the food items, they should bring it to the notice of district consumer centre.

Vice Chancellor Dr A H Rajasab said that the country can achieve food security only when the foodgrains production was based on the population. "Before Independence, the population of India was 33 crore while it is 130 crore now. However, the extent of land used for cultivation has come down considerably, the VC said.

Registrar M Venkateshwaralu, district consumer information centre convener T S Niranjan and others were present.