[e-drug] Innovative Nutritional Products Needed for Malnourished Children(2)

["veena shatrugna" <veena52@yahoo.com>]

E-DRUG: Innovative Nutritional Products Needed for Malnourished Children(2)
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Dear E druggers,

I do appreciate the need for innovative nutritional products for the massive malnutrition in India and Africa. I also agree that children need energy dense foods like milk solids, oil, and sugars and NOT just FORTIFIED FLOUR. Well the problem with ready to eat foods in our country is that:

1. It will spread the message that children can only thrive on 'packaged food' which must be provided or bought because it is not in any way related to the regular foods eaten at home.

2. It creates dependence on outside foods and people lose confidence in themselves

3. The reason children from poor families do not get energy dense foods is because the adults and families do not have these foods in abundance....children from rich households are fed these foods there is no problem.

4. I agree that flour or rice is not the solution, but food aid cannot be a long term solution.

5. Every country must provide 5 to 6 kinds of foods for children ....not a package containing a paste of energy dense may be even chocolate flavored mix of oil, sugar and milk, which maybe energy dense and provide all the other nutrients...but it is nevertheless a therapeutic paste, not a meal.

6. Countries must overcome the WTO to subsidize or provide children's FOODS FREE to everyone.

7. At this time only 30% of children in India have protein calorie adequacy...70% of the needs cannot be food aid!

8. The biggest danger is when this AID dries out due to fatigue of donors....the resulting tragedy will be unimaginable.

9. I think that the RUF must be saved for calamities...unless we feel that 75% of the world's children are always living in a war like situation.

Regards

Dr. Veena Shatrugna
Deputy Director
National Institute of Nutrition
Jamai Osmania
Hyderabad 500007 
India
veena52@yahoo.com