Iron Fortified Tea: The Fight

Against Anemia
March 26, 2018
Anemia: An Introduction
● Anemia is a condition that develops when an individual has severely low blood
count resulting in low haemoglobin levels. This means that their organs are not
receiving enough oxygen to properly function.
● Anemia is prevalent in South Asian countries such as Nepal, India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh, however it is most proliferated in India with approximately 87% of
the female population suffering from the condition. [1] The fact that 79.5% of
India’s population is Hindu might be a primary contributing factor to the
widespread prevalence of the condition, since Hindus believe the cow is sacred
and mainly subsist on vegetables, fruits and poultry; these are foods that lack the
adequate amounts of recommended iron intake.
● This instigated the search for a viable, non-intrusive, safe for general [2]"Anaemia prevention dr rabi", Slideshare.net, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://www.slideshare.net/drrabi/anaemia-prevention-dr-rabi. [Accessed: 25- Mar-
consumption and dependable technology. Dr. Levente Diosady of the University 2018].

of Toronto dedicated his research to developing a microencapsulation procedure

to fortify tea with iron, leveraging its cultural significance and widespread
consumption to combat anemia in the country.
[1] K. Kaur, "Anaemia ‘a silent killer’ among women in India: Present scenario", Scholarsresearchlibrary.com, 2018. [Online]. Available:
\href{http://www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com/articles/anaemia-a-silent-killer-among-women-in-india-present-scenario.pdf}{http://www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com/articles/anaemia-a-silent-killer-among-women-in-india-present-scen
ario.pdf}. [Accessed: 08- Mar- 2018].
 Defining Anemia

[3]Apps.who.int, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43894/9789241596657_eng.pdf?sequence=1. [Accessed: 25- Mar- 2018].

The table above details the threshold needed to determine whether or not an individual of each of the significant categories is anemic. For each
of the categories above, if the individual has a daily intake that falls below the threshold then they are considered to be iron deficient and in
need of intervention.
 Global Anemia Prevalence Maps

Figure 1: a WHO world map showing the prevalence of Figure 2: a WHO world map showing the prevalence of
anemia in women aged 15-49, with Southeast Asia anemia in pregnant women, with Southeast Asia showing
showing the highest percentage afflicted. the highest percentage afflicted.
[4]Apps.who.int, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/177094/1/9789241564960_eng.pdf.
[Accessed: 25- Mar- 2018].
 Selection of Country
● After narrowing it down to South Asia, we considered various countries where, there is a need for iron
fortification, tea is consumed heavily, and the infrastructure can support it
● Based on these factors, India was found to be the optimal location to implement iron fortified tea.
● Tea consumption is high in India, anemia is a widespread issue, and the economy, specifically the tea industry
is growing at a fast pace. [5][6]
● Historically tea consumption has been very high and even with coffee a growing trend, it remains an important
part of their diet. [5]
● Nevertheless, there are regional discrepancies between states, for example Kerala has a per capita
consumption that is almost double the average, but even when considering the lower consumption states, they
are relatively high in comparison with other countries. [5][6]

[5]http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/%E2%80%98Indian-tea-market-robust-consumption-growing-at-3%E2%80%99/article20867401.ece [Accessed 11 Feb. 2018].

[6] Yadavar, S. (2016). Anaemia Is The Biggest Cause Of Disability In India, Worst In BRICS. [online] IndiaSpend-Journalism India |Data Journalism India|Investigative Journalism-IndiaSpend. Available at:
http://www.indiaspend.com/cover-story/anaemia-is-the-biggest-cause-of-disability-in-india-worst-in-brics-43371 [Accessed 11 Feb. 2018].
Why does India need more Iron?
● We have shown that the tea market across India is growing, and tea consumption is high, but why does the
Indian population need more iron in their diet?
● Iron deficiency (anemia) is a major issue in India, affecting over 50% of women and children, this has been
linked to death and other adverse medical conditions such as reduction in mental capacity, children born with
deformations and organ failure. [7]
● Besides the loss of life and reduction in quality of health, anemia also results in a substantial loss in GDP of
0.9%, which is equivalent to 20 billion USD. [7]
● These low levels of iron can attributed to the diet in India. Due to cultural and religious reasons, a vegetarian
diet is very common, and meat has a higher percentage of iron than fruits, vegetables and other types of meat.
[8]
● Changing the diet itself would be a very difficult task considering how ingrained it is in the culture.
● Therefore, the one of the best methods to counteract anemia is to use fortification, as this does not affect the
culture and lifestyle.
[7] Yadavar, S. (2016). Anaemia Is The Biggest Cause Of Disability In India, Worst In BRICS. [online] IndiaSpend-Journalism India |Data Journalism India|Investigative Journalism-IndiaSpend. Available at:
http://www.indiaspend.com/cover-story/anaemia-is-the-biggest-cause-of-disability-in-india-worst-in-brics-43371 [Accessed 11 Feb. 2018].
[8] Anu RammohRean, Niyi Awofeso, and Marie-Claire Robitaille, “Addressing Female Iron-Deficiency Anaemia in India: Is Vegetarianism the Major Obstacle?,” ISRN Public Health, vol. 2012, Article ID 765476, 8 pages, 2012. doi:10.5402/2012/765476
Continued Growth of Consumption
● For this project to be successful in the selected country, there must be policies and investments that support the
continued growth of tea consumption.
● The Government of India is heavily focused on economic growth, specifically for rural areas and this applies
directly to our project [9].
● Rural areas consume less tea and more milk when compared to urban areas, this would make it difficult to
reach them. To counteract this, the Chief of the Tea Board is targeting these areas to take advantage of the
economic growth investments being made by the Government [9]. As the economy grows, so does the buying
power, allowing us to target these consumers with iron fortified tea.
● Overall there is growth predicted in all markets, even the less economically developed ones, which will
increase the probability of success in terms of iron fortification in combating anemia.

[9] Revathy, "Tea Board chief sees a big market in rural India", @businessline, 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/Tea-Board-chief-sees-a-big-market-in-rural-India/article20654827.ece. [Accessed: 05- Mar- 2018].
Theory of Change

INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOME GOAL

Energy Building Reduce

Iron- Increased
Financial Support fortification death rates
fortifying tea iron levels
Human Capital + plants, due to
before in
Knowledge Micro- Anemia in
distribution population
Materials encapsulation India
Method of Analysis: PESTLE
This method was chosen as it provides a holistic view on the implications of the project, which is critical for the real
world implementation of this technology.

Political
Economical
Social
Technological
Legal
Environmental
The PESTLE method minimizes this risk by analyzing each component of the market environment (India), which in
turn creates a business case that can integrate with the existing physical and cultural infrastructure of India.
PESTLE: Technology
● Frequent tea consumption might be inhibiting the individual’s body from absorbing sufficient iron from their already
iron-deficient diet. Tea contains a chemical called Tannin which phenolically reacts with non heme iron (plant derived iron) in
food and hinders the body’s ability to absorb it efficiently. [10]
● Doctors recommend waiting an hour or two after eating to drink tea so that it does not interfere with adequate nutrient
absorption, however when you look at tea consumption rates in India, the average rate of consumption is 2 cups per day for
adults. Coupled with the fact that about 80 of the population is Hindu meaning that they do not consume red meat, which is a
primary source of heme iron, the vast majority of the population is anemic.
● This poses an even greater danger to expecting mothers, females that have reached the age of puberty and are at heightened risk
due to menstrual cycles and infants that are born to anemic mothers and thus also inherit the trait.
● Dr. Diosady directed the majority of the Grand Challenges Canada grant towards funding research on proper encapsulation of
the iron fortification so that it can be added to the tea without reacting with tannin, and so that it may withstand the heat of the
liquid surrounding it. He likened the coating of the capsule to that of the coating used on Aspirin so that it does not harm the
stomach wall lining prior to digestion, however he stated that this delivery system technology is utilized on the microscopic level
so that each iron particulate is coated.
● What this essentially means is that the iron will only be carried by the tea as a means of reaching the patient, and the iron will
begin to be broken down once it is nestled in the patient’s stomach and comes in contact with the stomach acid.
[10] ”Does Tea Cause Iron Deficiency? - Drinks and Water - Health-Communities.com”, Healthcommunities.com, 2018. [Online]. Avail-able: http://www.healthcommunities.com/healthy-drinks/does-tea-cause-iron-deficiencyucbwl.shtml. [Accessed:
08- Mar- 2018].
PESTLE: Technology
● Tea manufacturing is a lengthy process that determines the outcome of the taste, colour and strength of the tea. There are various
opportunities during this process to implement the iron fortification, however it is most likely best done just before the tea is
packaged into tea bags in order to contain the iron particulates.
● The tea bag is a partially permeable membrane that can allow the iron particles to flow through and mix in with the hot water in
order to be consumed by the drinker. These companies would most likely require financial incentives to allow their product to be
fortified with iron, but possible ways to circumvent or reduce resistance is to benchmark the salt iodization process used in
Somalia.
● The Indian government can possibly sponsor or erect a number of tea fortification plants for companies to outsource this process
and thus avoid implementing it into their in-house manufacturing processes, which could prove to be very expensive and might
discourage them from partaking. Smaller distributors can send their unpackaged tea to these fortification plants, where the tea
gets fortified and packaged and then sent back to the manufacturer, ready for distribution.
● Larger distributors like TATA could possibly field the costs themselves to create an in-house fortification process. It is important
to emphasize the fact that the iron addition will not affect the quality of the product since it is both colourless and tasteless.
TATA seems to be invested in providing nutritionally fortified solutions to its consumers since it was one of the leading
companies to adopt Iron Fortified Salt under its subsidiary TATA Salt Plus to combat anemia in 2012. [11]

[11] ”Indias first iodine plus iron fortified salt launched by TataChemicals via @tatacompanies”, tata.com, 2018. [Online]. Available:http://www.tata.com/media/releasesinside/rBRDxbNl5eM=/TLYVr3YPkMU=. [Accessed: 08- Mar- 2018]
 The Process of Fortifying Tea
Durum Semolina +
Extrusion Cutting Sieving
Ferrous Fumarate

Drying Microencapsulation Colour masking Drying

After drying, the microencapsulated The microencapsulation stage is the most

iron can be added to the dried tea leaves important part of this process since it prevents
in tea bags, ready for distribution and the iron from reacting with tannin in the tea; this
consumption technology allows the iron to be ingested by the
user via dissolving in their stomach due to
reactions with stomach acid. This ensure the iron
dose is received. [12]

[12]K. Krishnaswamy, "Technologies for Food & Nutrition Security", 2018. [Online]. Available: https://portal.utoronto.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-6613099-dt-content-rid-43836891_2/courses/Winter-2018-APS420H1-S-LEC0101/Kiruba_Krishnaswamy_Week_9%281%29.pdf.
[Accessed: 26- Mar- 2018].
PESTLE: Legal
● Toxicity of iron is an important factor to consider when providing fortified tea.
● Toxicity Levels[13]:
<20 mg/Kg: 20 - 60 mg/kg: > 60 mg/kg:
Non-Toxic Moderately Toxic Can Cause Death

● Iron comprises 0.1-0.3% the tea by weight[14].

● Each cup of tea contains 2g of tea -> 6mg iron/cup[15].
● A 70kg person will require 700 cups of tea in order to reach toxic levels of iron.
● Virtually impossible to overdose on fortified tea

[13] G. OMalley and R. OMalley, ”Iron Poisoning - Injuries; Poisoning - MSD Manual Professional Edition”, MSD Manual Professional Edition, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/injuries-poisoning/poisoning/iron-poisoning.[Accessed:12-Feb-2018].
[14]”WO2010116379A1 - Iron fortified tea and a process for manufacture thereof - Google Patents”, Google.com, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/WO2010116379A1?cl=en. [Accessed:12-Feb-2018]
[15] ”How to Measure Loose Leaf Tea for Brewing”, Teatulia.com, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.teatulia.com/tea-101/how-to-measure-loose-leaf-tea-for-brewing.htm. [Accessed: 13-Feb- 2018].
PESTLE: Legal
● Food imports are governed by the Food Safety and Standards Association of India
● Complex process to import any kind of food into india
● Since iron is not on the list of prohibited substances
or a high risk food such as baby powder, obtaining an
import license will not be too difficult [16]
● Tea tariff is 110% [17], and would make it difficult
to reach people in india at a reasonable price
● Solution is to work with local tea manufacturers to
make and supply the tea

[16] ”Manual for Food Import Clearance System”, Fssai.gov.in, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://www.fssai.gov.in/home/imports/Manuals.html. [Accessed: 12- Feb- 2018].
[17] A. Sinha, ”Tea concern over import tariff decrease”, The Telegraph, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/tea-concern-over-import-tariff-decrease-188670. [Accessed: 24 Mar 2018].
 PESTLE: Political
The Indian government has increased public awareness of anemia and prompted
intervention programs throughout the years.

● 1970: National Nutritional Anemia Prophylaxis Program

○ Give children between 6 months to 60 months 20mg elemental iron and 100 mcg folic acid per day per child[18]
○ Children 6-10 year old will be provided 30 mg elemental iron and 250 mcg folic acid per child per day for 100 days in a
year.[18]
● 2007: “12 by 12 initiative”
○ Ensure that all Indian adolescents have 12 g/dL hemoglobin by 2012 [19]
● 2012-2017: 12th Five Year Plan
○ Aim to reduce anemia in girls and women by 50 percent [20]
● 2016: the National Health Mission and the Integrated Child Development Scheme
○ Indian government has allocated $5.5 billion in this program [21]
○ However, it is 700 million below the estimate requirement stated in the Global Nutrition Report [22]
● Other existing strategies in recent years
○ Supplementation Interventions by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and National Iron+ Initiative [20]
[18]"Market size of the coffee and tea industry across India in 2013 and 2017 (in billion Indian rupees)", Statista 2018, 2018. [Online]. Available:
http://motherchildnutrition.org/india/vitamin-ahttp://motherchildnutrition.org/india/vitamin-a-ifa-supplementation.html-ifa-supplementation.htmlhttp://motherchildnutrition.org/india/vitamin-a-ifa-supplementation.html. [Accessed: 25- Mar- 2018].
[19] A. Rammohan, N. Awofeso and M. Robitaille, ”Addressing Female Iron-Deficiency Anaemia in India: Is Vegetarianism the Major Obstacle?”, 2018.
[20]Pbnrhm.org, 2018.[Online].Available: http://www.pbnrhm.org/docs/ironplusguidelines.pdf.[Accessed: 11- Mar- 2018].
[21]”India tops the list of nations with most anaemic women and children - Firstpost”, Firstpost, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://www.firstpost.com/living/india-tops-the-list-of-nations- with-most-anaemic-women-and-children-3075578.html.
[Accessed: 11- Mar- 2018]
[22] Ebrary.ifpri.org,2018.[Online].Available: http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/130354/filename/130565.pdf. [Accessed: 11- Mar- 2018]
PESTLE: Economical - Inclusive Business Model
● Inclusive Business Model
○ Cooperating with top tea manufacturing companies in India to distribute to local people
○ Aiming to benefit Indian by including them in the business value chain on both demand and supply sides.
● Demand Side
○ 70% of the tea produced in India is consumed within its borders
○ In the year of 2017, the market size of the coffee and tea industry was around 418 billion Indian rupees, up from about
251.6 billion Indian rupees in 2013. [23]
○ As clients, Indian has huge consuming ability to support the business model
● Supply Side
○ Cooperating with leading distributors and Indian companies such as TATA coffee and Brooke Bond Taaza.
○ Possible distribution networks can be established by offering these companies business propositions in the form of
increased profits. The expected cost of iron fortification is 10-20 cents/person/year which would not impose a steep price
hike in terms of average tea price, meaning that consumption would stay relatively constant.
○ Possible expand in the indian tea industry and potential increase in job opportunities

Tea manufacturing
companies such as TATA Iron Fortified Local community
coffee Tea
[23]"Market size of the coffee and tea industry across India in 2013 and 2017 (in billion Indian rupees)", Statista 2018, 2018. [Online]. Available:
http://motherchildnutrition.org/india/vitamin-ahttp://motherchildnutrition.org/india/vitamin-a-ifa-supplementation.html-ifa-supplementation.htmlhttp://motherchildnutrition.org/india/vitamin-a-ifa-supplementation.html. [Accessed: 25- Mar- 2018].
 PESTLE: Economical - Present and Future
● GDP loss
○ As stated in a 2003 paper published in Food Policy, due to iron-deficiency anemia, India loses 0.9 percent of its gross
domestic product.. [24] This means that India loses up to $20.25 billion, according to the World Bank's estimate of
India's GDP in 2016.[25][26] Thus, iron-deficiency anemia has cost India significantly in the economic perspective.
● Tea industry in India
○ As the fourth largest exporter of tea in the world, India has one of the largest tea industries in the world. [27] Currently,
there are at least 1.1 million workers employed in various tea companies around the country. [27] The industry also
created income opportunities for almost another 10 million people. [27]
● Prospective future
○ If the iron fortification tea technology can be managed to be spread across the India, the whole economic condition of
India will be revitalized because of the boost in tea industry and the decreased cost spending in the health care.
○ When the iron fortified tea becomes a daily source of absorbing iron for the Indian population, the government will invest
more in the tea industry, and thus create more job opportunities. The economy of India will be boosted due to the iron
fortified tea.

[24]S. Horton and J. Ross, "The economics of iron deficiency", Food Policy, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 51-75, 2003.
[25]"India | Data", Data.worldbank.org, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://data.worldbank.org/country/india. [Accessed: 11- Mar- 2018]
[26]"India tops the list of nations with most anaemic women and children - Firstpost", Firstpost, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://www.firstpost.com/living/india-tops-the-list-of-nations-with-most-anaemic-women-and-children-3075578.html. [Accessed: 11- Mar- 2018].
[27]"Top 10 Tea Brands in India, facts about tea industry and more", Business.mapsofindia.com, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://business.mapsofindia.com/top-brands-india/top-tea-brands-in-india.html. [Accessed: 11- Mar- 2018].
 PESTLE: Social
● To understand the social aspect of Tea in Indian culture, it is important to
first consider the historical aspect of the product.
● During British Colonial rule in the 1800s, many Indians were employed for
tea growing and manufacturing, for the benefit of the British[28].
● One important aspect of British culture was ‘teatime’, drinking tea in the
afternoon, and during colonial rule this concept became adapted by
wealthier Indians[28].
● As tea become cheaper, teatime began spreading throughout India [28]. This
was aided by large amounts of advertisement [29].
● Tea was advertised in movies, commercials and even cartoons, many
claiming health benefits[30]. This advertising worked and the concept of tea
became an important staple in Indian culture.

[30]
[28] Pal, S. (2016). India in a Tea Cup: The Fascinating History of India's Best Loved Beverage, Chai. [online] The Better India. Available at: https://www.thebetterindia.com/78265/chai-tea-history-india/ [Accessed 11 Feb. 2018].
[29] Roshan, G. (n.d.). Formation and Expansion of Tea Culture in India. [online] Ci.nii.ac.jp. Available at: https://ci.nii.ac.jp/els/contentscinii_20180212042453.pdf?id=ART0009852117 [Accessed 11 Feb. 2018].\
[30] "Brooke Bond TAJ MAHAL Vintage Advertisement", Classic Indian Advertisements. [Online]. Available: http://classicindianads.blogspot.ca/2017/01/brooke-bond-taj-mahal-vintage.html. [Accessed: 20- Mar- 2018].
PESTLE: Social
● Tea’s importance in Indian culture can be seen in any gathering
of people. Weather it is a business meeting or just a social gather,
it is expected that tea will be served [31].
● Easy access to tea, specifically ‘chai’ (a mix of tea, milk and
sugar), makes this possible.
● Distribution of tea, in small towns and cities, is mainly done by
tea salesmen known as ‘chai wallahs’ (see picture). They can be
found serving hot tea on almost every street to wealthy people
like politicians, to poorer working-class people like drivers [32].
● Therefore, tea is always accessible to the general population, [32]
allowing for easier distribution.
● As previously mentioned, the taste will not change, and only 4% [31] Roshan, G. (n.d.). Formation and Expansion of Tea Culture in India. [online] Ci.nii.ac.jp. Available at:
https://ci.nii.ac.jp/els/contentscinii_20180212042453.pdf?id=ART0009852117 [Accessed 11 Feb. 2018].
● of the target market does not currently consume fortified food. [32] L. EPLETT, "Tea Tuesday: Meet The Chai Wallahs Of India", NPR.org, 2016. [Online]. Available:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/14/481878368/tea-tuesday-meet-the-chai-wallahs-of-india.
● Therefore, fortified tea is expected to be socially acceptable [33]. [Accessed: 05- Mar- 2018].
[33] R. Battalwar1 and B. Syed2, "A Study on Awareness and Consumption of Fortified Foods among Female
Adults of Mumbai", International Journal of Science and Research, 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v6i4/ART20172675.pdf. [Accessed: 20- Mar- 2018].
PESTLE: Environmental
● Severe environmental consequences are present in the cultivation and processing stages of tea
production, not in the iron fortification process itself
● Given the potential scale of iron-fortification in tea, small environmental concerns should be taken
seriously
● As tea fortification requires a integration with the tea production process, this is an opportunity to
improve on current tea practices by reducing its environmental footprint

Areas of Environmental Concern:

Deforestation + Use of
Habitat unclean
Fragmentation energy
Iron Fortified Tea
Production
Improper
Pesticide
wastewater
Usage
management
Pestle: Environmental
1) Deforestation + Habitat Fragmentation due to land use for tea cultivation
❏ Converting natural land to agricultural land requires deforestation, breaks up existing habitat [34]
❏ Global trend: ↑ Tea Production = ↑ Land Use for Tea [35]
2) Pesticide Usage
❏ Negative health effects on consumers and the environment
❏ 23/34 pesticides found in Indian tea are not registered for use [37]
❏ Alternative practices in pest control have been successful [38]
(e.g. light traps for moths)
3) Unclean energy used for tea processing [36]
❏ Tea drying - powered by firewood/gas/coal - is required to reach a certain moisture level [34]
❏ A shift towards renewable energy is required in India to mitigate this concern
4) Increased iron levels in ecosystem due to improper wastewater treatment
❏ Contaminated water used during processing is not treated [34]
❏ Although effects are indirect, increased iron levels in water can be harmful to ecosystems [39]
❏ Proper wastewater management should be required at tea manufacturing facilities
[34] M. Mukhopadhyay and T. K. Mondal, “Cultivation, Improvement, and Environmental Impacts of Tea,” Oxford Environmental Science, Apr-2017. [Online]. Available:
http://environmentalscience.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.001.0001/acrefore-9780199389414-e-373. [Accessed: 12-Mar-2018].
[35] A. Basu Majumdera , B. Beraa and A. Rajanb. “Tea Statistics: Global Scenario” Tea Board India, Jan-2012. [Online]. Available: http://teaboard.gov.in/pdf/Tea%20Statistics%20Global%20Scenario.pdf. [Accessed: 12-Mar-2018]
[36] G. John, “Habitat Fragmentation in the Western Ghats,” Conservation India, 26-May-2015. [Online]. Available: http://www.conservationindia.org/gallery/habitat-fragmentation-in-the-western-ghats. [Accessed: 09-Mar-2018].
[37] “Trouble Brewing” Greenpeace India, Aug-2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.greenpeace.org/india/Global/india/image/2014/cocktail/download/TroubleBrewing.pdf. [Accessed: 12-Mar-2018]
[38] M. Malgatti. “Non-Pesticidal Management in Crops: Community Managed Extension, Processes, and Impacts” Indian Agricultural Research Institute, 11-Nov-2014. [Online]. Available:
http://csa-india.org/non-pesticidal-management-in-crops-community-managed-extension-processes-and-impacts/. [Accessed: 12-Mar-2018]
[39] K. Vuori. (1995, Nov). “Direct and indirect effects of iron on river ecosystems.” Ann. Zool. Fennici. [Online]. Vol. 32. Available: http://www.annzool.net/PDF/anzf32/anz32-317-329.pdf. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2018]
 Implementation - Results of PESTLE Analysis

● Shift from pesticides to alternative pest control ● Increased in public awareness of anemia and prompted
practices intervention programs throughout the years.
● Invest in renewable energy
● Implement wastewater management

● Work with local tea manufacturers

● Possible Tea industry expansion and job opportunity
to avoid complicated
increase
import process and tariffs
● Decrease in government loss
● No risk of iron poisoning due to
● Decrease in financial allocation of health care program
overconsumption

● The microencapsulation technology

allows iron-fortified tea to be feasible in ● Ensure taste does not change with iron fortification
combating anemia by inhibiting tannin ● No present stigma against fortifying foods
reactions.
Impact Assessment
❏ Performed primarily using incremental Random Control Trials (RCTs)
❏ The randomness eliminates any bias in monitoring
❏ Definitions:
❏ Treatment communities will receive fortified tea at the given stage
❏ Control communities will not receive fortified tea at the given stage
❏ Challenge: controlling fortified tea distribution only to treatment communities
❏ Centralized fortification plants would allow better management of implementation phases

Stage 1: Random selection of treatment and control communities

- Distribution of fortified tea to treatment communities
- Within a year, test a random selection from both communities to compare iron levels and other
healthcare indicators

Stage 2: if iron levels in treatment community increase to a healthy level, iterate stage 1 with new treatment
community
- If results turn out negative, analyze treatment community for factors contributing to ineffectiveness,
then adjust implementation method accordingly and iterate
 The Team
Luckshya Mehta Mohamed Ali Andrew Lau Oliver Wu Hao Jin

Social analysis of tea in Technology analysis of Environmental Analysis Legal Analysis Political and economical
India tea fortification in India Impact Assessment analysis of tea
fortification in India