Amrutham powder will soon have jaggery instead of sugar: The downside

Amrutham podi, aka amrutham nutrimix, the protein-rich health powder distributed in Kerala through anganwadis and Kudumbashree units, will undergo a major change from its next batch. The nutritious powder's sweetness will come from jaggery, not sugar, now on. The State Women and Child Development Department has ordered the switch, following a directive from the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to avoid sugar in the nutritional supplement. The commission has also suggested using jaggery in small quantities as an alternative.

What is amrutham podi?
Amrutham podi is a nutritious powder which was created at the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Kasaragod. It was introduced in Kerala in 2006 as a dietary supplement for kids aged six months to three years to combat malnutrition, and supplied in anganwadis. Its standard ingredients are wheat, soybean, gram dal, groundnut, peanuts and currently, sugar. Over the years, many homemakers have also made their own versions of the powder at home and used it to make items like laddus, puttu, upma, idli, adas, peda, halwa, and unniyappam.

Why the switch?
The department says the decision was prompted by concerns over the health effects of sugar on children. Kerala's Minister for Women and Child Development, Bindu Krishna, said, "Concerns had already been raised about the adverse effects of sugar on children’s health. With the Child Rights Commission’s order also being received, we immediately directed that sugar be discontinued and jaggery be used in small quantities."

The downside of the switch
The switch may not end the debate over what goes into Amrutham powder. The department plans to study whether replacing sugar with jaggery would require changes to the powder's nutritional composition. The Minister said a committee may also be constituted to examine the issue. Health experts, meanwhile, are questioning whether simply replacing sugar with jaggery is the answer.

They point out that jaggery could also shorten the shelf life of the cereal-based powder. While sugar is very dry and has only about 0.8% moisture content, unrefined jaggery can have up to 7%. This can trigger rapid spoilage, clumping and rancidity. 

For very young children, current dietary guidelines do not favour added sweeteners. Dr K S Praveen, paediatrician at Nemom Taluk Hospital, says, “According to the guidelines of the Union government and the ICMR, no added sweetener, including sugar or jaggery, should be included in the diet of children below two years of age. Sweeteners may be added to the diet of children above two years of age, but they should account for less than 5% of the total calories in the food."
(With inputs from MA Anooj)