Britannia

Looks the same and tastes the same. But these are special biscuits that come fortified with the much-needed micronutrients for growing children. Britannia Biscuits in association with Naandi Foundation and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) will be providing these fortified biscuits to more than 1.30 lakh school children in the city. To be launched in the next few weeks, the biscuits are to be part of mid-day meal programme.

Students of the 1,000-odd schools covered under the mid-day meal scheme will be given two of these biscuits twice a week. "As far as children are concerned, biscuit is a natural choice to supplement micronutrients that are found to be rampantly deficient among children. Since children enjoy biscuit, it will not be taken as a medicine or a supplement," says Vinita Bali, Managing Director, Britannia.

Iron deficiency anaemia is said to impact on physical health, immunity, concentration, memory, learning ability and behaviour implications. The company has already been into preparing these biscuits and the same were being despatched to several countries like Afghanistan and Africa as part of United Nation's World Food Programme, says Vinita Bali.

Under the mid-day meals, students are provided with a combination of rice, dal and vegetable curries. "We have started providing egg and banana also and with the fortified biscuits we hope that a major micronutrient need of these children will be taken care of," says Manoj Kumar, CEO, Naandi Foundation.