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The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Micronutrient deficiency remains major public health challenge: Expert
Micronutrient deficiency continues to be a major public health problem in India, particularly affecting women and children, said Ajay Kumar Khera, former Commissioner, Maternal and Child Health, Government of India, and country representative, EngenderHealth, New Delhi. Speaking at the inauguration of a national workshop on 'Initiatives and Progress to Address Hidden Hunger' organised by CSIR-CFTRI here on Friday, Dr. Khera highlighted that micronutrient deficiencies remain one of the leading causes of impaired health and development in children, underscoring the need for large-scale interventions. 'Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread, with anaemia affecting nearly 59-60% of the population. Despite various programmes to tackle it, only about 10-15% reduction has been achieved so far,' he stated. He emphasised that the Central government has launched the POSHAN Abhiyan with the aim of reducing anaemia by at least 50% by 2030, but achieving this target remains a challenge. Micronutrient supplementation programmes and food fortification are among the major solutions to address these issues, he suggested. Citing the example of the iodised salt initiative which successfully addressed goitre in the country, Dr. Khera said that similar large-scale fortification programmes are needed to tackle other micronutrient deficiencies. 'Iodised salt was one of India's biggest public health success stories. Food fortification plays a key role, and the Centre has prioritised fortification for societal safety. Such initiatives can also help reduce neural tube defects,' he added. Supporting this, Sesikiran Boindala, former Director, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad, who was the chief guest of the event, pointed out that around 2.5 lakh children are born with neural tube defects every year. Three in every 1,000 live births experience neural tube defects, causing conditions like spina bifida. He stressed the importance of rice and wheat flour fortification to address nutritional challenges, and noted that fortified foods do not pose health risks, as nutrients remain within safe levels even if consumed in excess. In her address, CSIR-CFTRI Director Sridevi Annapurna Singh spoke about the institute's initiatives in developing fortified foods over the years to combat micronutrient deficiencies effectively. Reena Das, a professor from the Department of Hematology, PGIMER, Chandigarh also spoke at the event. The experts discussed addressing micronutrient deficiencies through fortification, supplementation, and dietary diversity to achieve nutritional security. The two-day workshop has been organised to deliberate on the progress, challenges, and way forward for micronutrient fortification initiatives in India, with a focus on food system-based interventions such as nutritious diets, staple food fortification, and especially fortified rice, which has now been scaled to 675 rice-consuming districts via the Public Distribution System (PDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) programmes. Key objectives of the workshop include showcasing progress, innovations, and learnings in rice fortification and take-home rations (THR); addressing challenges in quality assurance, field implementation, compliance, capacity building, and laboratory strengthening; facilitating cross-learning from other commodity fortification programmes (salt, oil, wheat); defining a collaborative roadmap for strengthening the Central government's plan of action for 2025 and beyond; promoting stakeholder engagement, knowledge sharing, and awareness generation on food fortification to demystify myths and enhance programme implementation; and sharing success stories and lessons from cross-commodity fortification experiences.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Workshop on addressing ‘hidden hunger' begins at CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru
A national workshop organised by the CSIR-CFTRI, the Innovation Hub for Rice Fortification, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, began in Mysuru on Friday to evaluate the progress made so far in addressing 'hidden hunger' — the widespread micronutrient deficiencies that continue to pose significant public health challenges. The workshop's concept note, quoting the Global Burden of Disease 2021, states that the global prevalence of anaemia stands at 24.3%, with dietary iron deficiency being the leading cause. Anaemia accounts for approximately 52.1 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) globally, of which iron deficiency alone contributes around 34.5 million DALYs (60%). In India, dietary iron deficiency is responsible for an estimated 12 million DALYs, it added. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21), 59% of women aged 15–49 years, and 67% of children aged 6–59 months in India are anaemic. Further, Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS), 2016-18, data shows that 50-70% of anaemia cases are due to deficiencies of iron, folate (B9), and Vitamin B12, it stated. The note also highlighted that Vitamin A and D deficiencies pose significant public health challenges. CNNS data indicate that 61% of children under the age of five are Vitamin A deficient, while 50% of children aged one to four years lack adequate Vitamin D.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
CFTRI: Nutrition programme for malnourished children launched in Mysuru
The CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysuru, has launched a 'Nutrition Intervention Programme' aimed at improving the nutritional status of malnourished preschool children in the Mysuru district. This initiative is being implemented with financial support from Bank Note Paper Mill India Pvt. Ltd. (BNPM), Mysuru, under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The programme is a collaborative effort involving CSIR-CFTRI, the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services (DHFW), and the Directorate of Women and Child Development (DWCD). A total of 600 malnourished preschool children have been selected for the programme, with 500 children set to receive nutritional support through scientifically formulated food kits. These kits, developed by CSIR-CFTRI, consist of high-energy and high-protein supplementary foods fortified with key micronutrients such as Iron, Vitamin A, and Zinc. The food kits will be distributed monthly for a period of six months. The impact of the intervention will be assessed through comprehensive evaluations of the children's anthropometric and biochemical parameters, carried out in collaboration with the Mysore Medical College and Research Centre (MMCRI), according to a release. Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies continue to pose significant public health challenges among preschool children in India. According to the National Family Health Survey-5, nearly one-third of children under five years are underweight or stunted, and 62% suffer from anaemia. 'These deficiencies not only impair physical growth but also hinder cognitive development, compromise immunity, and disrupt metabolic functions. Studies have shown that undernourished children face a heightened risk of developing non-communicable diseases later in life, with many of these developmental impairments being irreversible if not addressed early,' the release added. In response to this issue, the nutrition intervention programme has been launched. The programme was launched on Thursday at CSIR-CFTRI. Thalikerappa, managing director of BNPM, was the chief guest on the occasion. B. Basavaraj, deputy director of DWCD, Mohammed Shiraz Ahmed, reproductive and child health officer of DHFW, and Sridevi Annapurna Singh, director of CSIR-CFTRI, who presided over the event, were present. During the launch, nutrition supplement kits were symbolically distributed to five children. Jyothi Lakshmi, senior principal scientist at CSIR-CFTRI, provided insights into the programme and highlighted the institute's long-standing research and interventions in combating malnutrition. Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, in her address, emphasised that the success of previous nutrition programmes conducted in Nanjangud and Purulia (West Bengal) has inspired the expansion of such initiatives. She underlined the importance of larger sample sizes for better validation and encouraged continued collaboration with government departments, local healthcare providers, and CSR-backed organisations to combat malnutrition effectively. Dharanikumara, chief general manager of BNPM, along with medical experts from MMCRI, including Nayas Pasha, Rangaswamy, and Shubha Jayaram, were also present.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Mysuru: CFTRI can emerge as a launchpad for entrepreneurs, says expert
TiE Mysuru chapter president Bhaskar Kalale emphasised food-tech entrepreneurship during the event to mark National Technology Day 2025 on Wednesday and said that India is seeing an explosion in the sector. 'From millet-based snacks to vertical farming, young innovators are solving real problems. But often, they lack the deep scientific validation that institutions like CFTRI can provide. This is where CFTRI must evolve from a knowledge hub to a launchpad for entrepreneurs,' he said. Addressing scientists and the staff of the CSIR-CFTRI on the occasion of National Technology Day-2025, in the institute campus in Mysuru, he said, a student here has developed a high-protein biscuit using waste pulses. Instead of publishing it alone, she partnered with an incubator to launch it as a rural enterprise. Likewise, a researcher working on food spoilage uses predictive analytics to build a supply-chain startup with shelf-life monitoring. 'We need technopreneurs—scientists who are also problem-solvers, communicators, and business leaders. CFTRI can nurture ideas through innovation labs, patent clinics, business mentoring, and seed funding platforms,' Mr. Kalale said. 'AI is reshaping every industry—and food is no exception. In food tech, AI can be the invisible force that drives efficiency, personalization, and safety,' he said. CFTRI can think of using computer vision to detect contaminants in real time (AI in food safety); analyzing thousands of food samples to uncover micronutrient trends (AI in nutrition research) and designing recipes tailored to regional deficiencies or specific age groups (AI in food formulation) and forecasting demand, optimizing distribution, and extending shelf life (AI in reducing waste), he said. 'But AI is not a magic wand. It needs curated data, domain expertise, and continuous learning. CFTRI is uniquely positioned to lead AI-driven food innovation—because you have the science, the data, and the vision,' he noted. He urged the CFTRI to invest in AI capacity-building—collaborate with tech institutions, bring in data scientists, and build AI-ready labs. The future does not belong to the isolated innovator. It belongs to the collaborative ecosystem—where academia, startups, corporates, farmers, and consumers co-create solutions. Mr. Kalale spoke on the enormous potential for collaboration between TiE and CFTRI. TiE, as many of you know, is a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and thought leaders committed to fostering entrepreneurship. We have seen firsthand how mentorship, funding access, and global exposure can transform a researcher's idea into a scalable startup. CFTRI holds decades of scientific depth, credibility, and food innovation expertise. 'TiE can help CFTRI researchers and students translate lab research into market-ready ventures through mentorship, business model development, and investor connections. CFTRI can become a technology partner to TiE's startup ecosystem, offering validated solutions and expert guidance to food-tech entrepreneurs,' he suggested. He said TiE Angels and other investor networks can support deep-tech food ventures incubated at CFTRI, helping them scale faster and smarter. CFTRI Director Sridevi Annapurna Singh presided over the event.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
CSIR-CFTRI Mysuru marks National Technology Day; highlights impactful achievements
The CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, on Tuesday commemorated National Technology Day 2025 with the theme 'Empowering a Sustainable Tomorrow Through Innovation'. The event underscored CFTRI's commitment to science-led sustainable development, technology transfer, and industry partnership. Aashitosh A. Inamdar, Head, TTBD, spoke on the significance of the day. Highlighting a year of impactful achievements, Mr. Inamdar presented an overview of technology transfer and industry collaboration milestones achieved by CFTRI in 2024–25. These included the signing of three major agreements: A project agreement with MILMA, Wayanad Dairy (MRCMPUL); a technology transfer agreement with Kudumbashree, Kerala State Division for 94 technologies; and a project agreement with Tattva Nutri Foods Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru. The client management system to connect the industry and other stakeholders for technology transfer, new product development and other industry engagements was also launched by the dignitaries on the occasion. Bhaskar Kalale, president of the TiE Mysuru chapter, was the chief guest and spoke about the vital role of technology in shaping a resilient and self-reliant future. The function was presided over by Sridevi Annapurna Singh, director, CSIR-CFTRI, who commended the institute's scientific teams and reinforced CFTRI's vision for translational research and public service. Outstanding scientists and teams, including B.B. Borse and team (for achieving the highest number of technology transfers, notably for Coffee Concentrate); M.V.R.K. Sarma and team (for a high-cost technology transfer involving transglycosylating-glucosidase); Rajeshwar S. Matche and team (for handling the highest number of sponsored industry projects); Babylatha and team (for a high-value industry-sponsored project), were presented with Certificates of Appreciation, a release from CFTRI said. The event reaffirmed CSIR-CFTRI's pivotal role in advancing food science and technology and fostering meaningful collaboration with industry for sustainable societal impact.
