India’s nutrition challenge is not just about getting enough food on the plate. It is also about whether that food supplies the vitamins and minerals the body needs. A new purple-fleshed potato, Kufri Jamunia, is being promoted by the government as one possible way to improve the nutritional value of a staple food.
Developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), the fortified variety of potato contains higher levels of vitamin C, iron and zinc than the conventional yellow-skinned potato used for comparison. Its purple flesh also contains anthocyanins, natural pigments associated with antioxidant activity.
Can a more nutritious potato make a meaningful difference to India’s hunger problem?
And what it will take to move this innovation from agricultural research to everyday diets.
“We can say that it can partly address micronutrient deficiencies, but not hunger in terms of calories. The issue is less about vitamin C and more about iron and zinc. The potato meets only a modest share of daily requirements, and plant-based iron is poorly absorbed. Anthocyanins are antioxidants, but their benefits in addressing deficiencies are less well established. So, it is a useful, affordable complement that can reach many people, but it is not a solution on its own,” said Shoba Suri, Senior Fellow, Health Initiative at Observer Research Foundation.
What Makes Kufri Jamunia Different?
The most striking feature of Kufri Jamunia is its purple flesh, but its nutritional composition is what makes it significant. The government in its press note on October 18 published comparison lists 42.75 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of Kufri Jamunia, against 23.15 mg in the conventional potato. Its reported iron content is 3.22 mg per 100 grams, compared with 0.57 mg in the conventional variety. Zinc levels are listed at 2.28 mg, against 0.28 mg. The variety also contains anthocyanins, with higher concentrations in the skin than in the flesh.
These figures suggest that the potato could contribute more of certain nutrients to a person’s diet than the conventional variety. However, nutrient content alone does not establish how much the body absorbs or whether eating the potato regularly would reduce deficiencies. Cooking methods, serving sizes, the composition of the rest of the diet and the body’s ability to absorb nutrients all matter.
Kufri Jamunia is not India’s first attempt at developing coloured potatoes with enhanced nutritional value. ICAR-CPRI has also developed varieties such as Kufri Neelkanth and Kufri Manik. Kufri Jamunia was officially released in 2024, according to the government.
Why Hidden Hunger Remains A Public Health Concern
Hidden hunger is not about going without food. It occurs when people eat enough to feel full but still lack essential vitamins and minerals. Someone eating three meals a day could have deficiencies in iron, zinc or vitamin A without even realising it.
In India, diets dominated by rice, wheat and other refined staples can leave nutritional gaps despite providing enough calories. This makes hidden hunger a largely invisible public health problem, affecting millions, particularly women and children, without the obvious signs of food deprivation.
In simple terms, hidden hunger occurs when the body does not get enough essential micronutrients from food or cannot absorb them properly. Research points to widespread risks of deficiencies in calcium, vitamins A and B12, and folate, with some studies suggesting that more than 80% of Indians may be at risk of deficiencies in certain nutrients. Iron, zinc and vitamin B6 deficiencies can also affect specific populations.
India’s latest National Family Health Survey, NFHS-6, covering 2023-24, shows that child nutrition remains a significant concern. Stunting among children under five has declined to 29.3%, from 35.5% in NFHS-5. Wasting stands at 19%, while 31.8% of children under five are underweight. These indicators measure different aspects of undernutrition; they do not directly measure hidden hunger, but they illustrate the scale of India’s broader nutrition challenge.
The findings also highlight the importance dietary quality. Only 15.3% of children aged six to 23 months received an adequate diet in NFHS-6, according to the survey’s national fact sheet. That makes it important to look beyond calorie availability and examine whether families have access to a diverse range of nutritious foods.
Hidden hunger can take several forms, often at the same time. Mineral deficiencies, including low iron, zinc, calcium or iodine, can affect blood health, immunity and bone strength. Vitamin deficiencies, such as those involving vitamins A, D and B12, can affect eyesight, bone health, energy levels and neurological development. A diet may also provide enough calories but too few nutrients, particularly when it relies heavily on refined carbohydrates.
Vitamins A, D and B12 deserve particular attention. Vitamin A deficiency can affect eyesight and immunity, while low vitamin D can weaken bones. Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can be a concern for people following diets with few animal-derived foods, may cause fatigue and neurological problems. Because symptoms can be subtle or develop gradually, deficiencies may go unnoticed without appropriate assessment.
“Hidden hunger is micronutrient deficiency despite adequate calorie intake, so people may eat enough yet still lack iron, zinc, vitamin A or folate. It is a public health concern because the damage is often invisible in the early stages: anaemia, stunted growth, weak immunity, poor cognitive development and higher maternal risk. NFHS-6 found that over half of Indian women aged 15–49 and about two-thirds of young children were anaemic. The costs compound across generations, lowering productivity and learning outcomes. India’s cereal-heavy diets, low dietary diversity and poverty, rather than food scarcity alone, drive the problem,” Suri explained.
A biofortified crop could help by increasing the nutrient content of a food that people already eat. But it cannot, by itself, address every cause of malnutrition, including poverty, limited dietary diversity, illness and inadequate access to healthcare.
Biofortification Is Not The Same As Food Fortification
Biofortification improves the nutritional value of food crops through better farming practices, conventional plant breeding or modern biotechnology. Unlike conventional fortification, which adds nutrients during food processing, biofortification boosts the nutrient content of crops as they grow. This approach can help reach communities where supplements and fortified foods are difficult to access or distribute. Kufri Jamunia is an example of this approach.
Biofortification projects focus on improving different nutrients in staple crops. These include increasing iron levels in rice, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava and legumes; boosting zinc in wheat, rice, beans, sweet potatoes and maize; and increasing provitamin A in sweet potatoes, maize and cassava. Some projects also aim to improve the protein and amino acid content of crops such as sorghum and cassava.
Food fortification, by contrast, involves adding nutrients during food processing. India uses this approach for selected foods, including fortified rice and edible oils, as part of wider nutrition interventions.
“Biofortification suits rural, subsistence consumers who rarely buy processed foods, and it needs only a one-time breeding investment that reaches people through ordinary farming. Its limits are that gains per serving are modest, and cooking or storage can erode them. Fortification delivers precise doses but depends on mills and supply chains,” Suri noted.
Both approaches can contribute to improving nutrient intake, but neither is a substitute for a varied diet. Their effectiveness depends on which nutrients are needed, who consumes the food, how regularly it is eaten and whether the nutrients are absorbed by the body.
Can Farmers Grow The Purple Potato At Scale?
A nutritious crop will have limited impact if farmers cannot grow it reliably or consumers cannot afford it. Kufri Jamunia has a recommended yield of 32-35 tonnes per hectare under specified cultivation practices. It recorded yields of around 49 tonnes per hectare in station trials conducted over a 90-day period, with nearly 90% of production classified as marketable in those trials. The variety has also been recommended for cultivation in the North Indian plains and is reported to have good storage quality.
These are encouraging agricultural indicators, but trial performance does not automatically guarantee the same results across farms. Commercial adoption will depend on seed availability, local growing conditions, production costs, market prices and whether farmers see a financial reason to switch from established varieties.
Consumer acceptance is another consideration. The potato’s distinctive colour may attract interest, and it can be used in familiar preparations such as curries, parathas and other dishes. Yet its nutritional benefits will matter only if households purchase it and include it in their diets regularly.
Availability and affordability will therefore be as important as nutrient content. If the variety remains a niche product or commands a price that puts it beyond the reach of lower-income households, its potential contribution to nutritional security could be limited.
“Scaling depends on seed availability. Potatoes are clonally propagated, so multiplication is slow and bulky, and farmers need certified seed tubers. Affordability remains uncertain, as purple potatoes and other biofortified produce may carry a price premium due to limited initial supply, separate supply chains and other factors. Purple potatoes have strong potential as a functional staple food, but market expansion is needed to unlock their widespread health benefits,” Suri pointed out.
What Should The Government Do Next?
The policy challenge is to turn a promising crop variety into an intervention whose benefits can be measured. That requires more than developing nutrient-rich seeds. Agricultural agencies need to support seed multiplication, help farmers understand cultivation practices and assess how the crop performs under different conditions.
“There is a need to generate demand, improve delivery and build evidence. For this, the government must link seed multiplication, farmer incentives and procurement to channels such as PM POSHAN/midday meals, Anganwadis and the public distribution system, where fresh produce is rarely supplied. The supply chain, cold storage and processing capacity also need investment. These efforts can help address nutrient gaps, but improving dietary diversity also requires pulses, vegetables and eggs, not just one tuber,” Suri said.
Researchers need to establish how much of the potato’s nutrients remain after cooking, how bioavailable those nutrients are and whether regular consumption improves nutrient intake or health outcomes among groups at risk of deficiency.
Can One Potato Make A Difference?
Kufri Jamunia offers an interesting example of how agricultural research could contribute to public health. By improving the nutritional profile of a familiar staple, biofortification may help make everyday diets more nutritious without requiring people to overhaul their eating habits.
But the purple potato is not a standalone solution to hidden hunger. Its real value will depend on whether farmers adopt it, whether households can afford it and whether independent studies demonstrate meaningful nutritional benefits.
“The main advantage of potatoes is their accessibility, wide reach, affordability and the fact that they are grown by small-holder farmers. As one component of a diverse approach that includes other foods, supplements, fortified staples and health programmes, they can help narrow nutritional gaps,” said Suri.
