Millions of school children from poor families who get fed in schools by the government will get a nutritional candy that will help make up for their iron and vitamin deficiencies.

Under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), the government has been providing since last year a lemon flavour candy with seven milligram of iron to about five million children in Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

"Eight more states are likely to introduce the candy which contains Vitamin A and C, iron and folic acid. Ideal for children over six years of age, this will be given to 14 million poor children," said Luc Laviolette, regional director for Asia of Canada-based Micronutrient Initiative.

Micronutrient Initiative, a non-profit organisation, promotes food fortification through government programmes in countries in Asia, Africa and South America, where micronutrient malnutrition is most prevalent.

"An efficacy study done by the (New Delhi-based) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that the candy reduces iron deficiency-induced anaemia substantially," Laviolette told.

Though there have been some detractors to the move, other experts claim it is a cost effective solution in a country where a large number of children suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

The nutrition candy should be seen as a supplement, not a replacement for nutritional food, says K. Anand, an associate professor at the AIIMS' Centre for Community Medicine.

"The nutrition candy is a low cost option to iron pills, which have not found wide acceptance. Besides being more attractive and acceptable to children and even adults, the candy has proved more effective in improving iron deficiency-induced anaemia," he said.

"We are still testing for Vitamin-A status. The report should be ready by next week."

Though the body needs only small quantities of nutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamins, they are essential for the proper development of the body, brain and the immune system.

A child daily requires 28-30 milligram of iron while the amount needed for pregnant women is 40 milligram.

Anaemia in children below two years of age affects the brain development irreversibly. Lack of Vitamin A on the other hand not only leads to blindness in severe cases but also impairs the immune system.

"Children have a five-year window of opportunity when they can develop well. Lack of proper nutrition has impact on their body and mental growth for the rest of their life," Laviolette said.

"Study done in the outskirts of Delhi by the AIIMS has shown that if we go for the candy with full dose of nutrients (14 milligram of iron), it could reduce child mortality in the country by about 25 percent," he said.

Micronutrient has also introduced on a small scale a food fortification preparation that is being blended with 'khichri' and served as mid-day meal in West Bengal on an experimental basis.

Earlier this year, India made it compulsory for salt manufacturers to fortify it with iodine and iron to tackle the problem of anaemia among children and women.

An estimated 22,000 maternal deaths occur annually due to anaemia in India.

"Women and children are the most affected and these deficiencies damage health, impair work capacity, impact reproduction and reduce intelligence. Vitamin and mineral deficiency will cost the Indian economy Rs.2.77 trillion over the next 10 years in lost human potential and health care costs," said Laviolette.