Health in a platter
Times Food Processing Journal presents excerpts from the keynote address by Dr V Prakash, on the Indian market for fortification and supplementation in the conference on Fortified Foods & Supplements
Let us call fortification as ‘value addition’. The issues of nutrition gap or fortification have to be addressed globally. India is an agri-based country; all you need is value addition. When you look at the entire system of health and nutrition, we see cost-effectiveness. Prevention in food loss also means increase in food availability. In India, the amount of nutrition loss is very high.
Some issues come to my mind when you look at the nutrition gap, fortification and supplementation. These are problems for everyone - developing, developed and under-developed nations. So, perhaps, we have to address the problems globally.
When we talk of rural industries, we talk of quality materials. Therefore, its growth is extremely important. Maternal nutrition is very important. In this context, the importance of micro-nutrients is very vital. Improving the child mortality rate and nutrition for women is very important.
Millenium development goals
• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal and primary education
• Global partnership
• Multi-sectoral approach to reduce poverty and hunger.
In our constitution the right to adequate food is mentioned; this is the fundamental right of every citizen. The importance of micro-nutrients is vital when you look at fortification/supplements.
GDP loss due to iron deficiency is high in India. Today, 80+ ages also need fortification in addition to school-going children. Even 40-50+ age group need fortification these days. Nutrition throughout the life cycle is vital.
For eradicating malnutrition, all the technology needed is available, but this technology is not reaching out. The resource and the knowledge do exist; it is the policy and the political choice that require a national approach from a global agenda. Karnataka is on with six million children a day with Hot Meals. CFTRI's intervention makes the meal complete in terms of nutrition.
