The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Researchers call for food composition programme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 26, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Researchers call for food composition programme

Staff Reporter

Food experts drawn from top research organisationsmeet in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Establishment of a permanent national food composition programme in the country to regularly update food composition data was the need of the hour, food experts drawn from top research organisationssaid here on Friday.

They were speaking at the valedictory function of Second Asian Graduate Course on production and use of food composition data in nutrition at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

Food researchers from NIN, International Nutrition Foundation, Boston, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations participated in the programme at NIN, held from November 5 to 25. The recommendations made by the food experts would be sent to the Ministry of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research and host of other scientific organisations dealing with nutrition in the country and abroad.

The members felt that the national food composition programme in each country should seek to update their food composition data systems with maximum intervals of five years.

Funding agency

The FAO and International Nutrition Foundation members also pointed out that a proper funding agency should be identified to assist in data generation, compilation and dissemination nationally, internationally and regionally.

Another vital recommendation to come out of the brainstorming sessions was inclusion of food composition data principles and practice in the educational courses dealing with nutrition, health, nutrition and environment subjects.

The members also pointed out that food composition data programmes should have cheaper and easier access to scientific journals, associated with the subject.

Members of International Network of Food Data System, including Iran, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Botswana, USA, Bangladesh, Australia and Armenia and NIN Director B. Sesikeran were among the others present.

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