Kerala child rights panel tells WCD to drop sugar from anganwadi Nutrimix
Kerala's child rights body has directed the WCD director to remove sugar from Amrutham Nutrimix and study replacing it with jaggery.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Director of Women and Child Development (WCD) to ensure that sugar is completely avoided in the manufacture of Amrutham Nutrimix, a low-cost food supplement distributed through anganwadis in the state.
The directive follows a complaint from Sahila K. of Palakkad, who pointed out that the supplement contains 20% sugar, a level that goes against WHO guidelines. The petitioner argued that such high sugar content could expose children to lifestyle diseases and urged the authorities to distribute a sugar-free version.
Acting on the complaint, the commission, which included member Shajesh Bhaskar P., has also asked the WCD Director to constitute a high-level committee to scientifically determine the nutritional composition of the supplement. The committee has been tasked with examining the feasibility of replacing sugar with small quantities of jaggery.
The commission has further instructed the WCD Director to issue guidelines on the age-appropriate quantity of Nutrimix to be given to children, in line with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development's recommendations.
In addition, the panel has called for clear labelling on children's food products, including Amrutham Nutrimix, listing the quantity of each ingredient, nutritional information, and the recommended serving size. It has also suggested creating awareness among anganwadi workers and beneficiaries about proper cooking methods and healthy habits, using platforms such as the Poshan Tracker app and WhatsApp groups.
In a report to the commission, the WCD Director said Amrutham Nutrimix is produced by Kudumbashree units using a formulation developed by the ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CPCRI), Kasaragod, to meet children's daily calorie and protein needs. The department is currently examining the possibility of replacing sugar with jaggery.
The commission has also recommended that the WCD Director, the Commissioner of Food Safety, and the Director of Health Services jointly examine whether each ingredient in the current formulation is suitable for children's age and health.