India, being a developing country, has a twin burden of malnutrition and infectious diseases, as well as lifestyle-related degenerative disorders like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and malignancies. Apart from these issues, India suffers from vitamin deficiencies, which harm growth and development. The National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyan) recognizes staple food fortification as one of the most cost-effective and complementary strategies for reducing micronutrient deficiency across all demographic groups.
The importance of Vitamins A and D in strengthening immunity has long been known. Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, and children's growth might remain stunted if they don't get enough of it. According to recent research, the population has a high incidence of these two vitamin deficiencies, which is a significant public health concern.
Synnex in association with India’s leading organizations brought together this session on Dairy & Beverage Fortification: Challenges & Opportunities. The idea was to bring together industry, academia, and policymakers on a single forum to explore the role and extent of fortification in India's fight against micronutrient malnutrition.
The session covered the effectiveness of fortification in the dairy and beverage industry.
Milk is an essential staple consumed by masses & can potentially improve the status of micronutrient malnutrition in India. If we use milk as a vehicle to transfer the micronutrients, the nutritional status of a large base of consumers will be elevated. The different elements about Dairy & Beverage Fortifications covered were:
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Regulation, challenges & opportunities of Dairy Food Fortification
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Principles of Milk Fortification
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Effectiveness of Dairy Food Fortification
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Benefits of Dairy Food Fortification
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Improving nutritional quality of dairy products through fortification