Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Asia Urged to Fortify Foods With Nutrients to Cut Down Malnutrition

by VR Sreeraman on August 22, 2007 at 6:09 PM
Asia Urged to Fortify Foods With Nutrients to Cut Down Malnutrition

A global health group Wednesday urged governments across Asia to enact laws against massive malnutrition that would require food producers to include vitamins and minerals in their products.

Lack of vitamins and minerals have left millions of Asians vulnerable to disease, and about one million children younger than five die annually because of this, the Flour Fortification Initiative (FFI) network said here.

Advertisement

Globally, an estimated 50,000 young women during pregnancy and child birth also perish and 200,000 cases of serious birth defects are recorded each year because of the problem, it said.

FFI coordinator Glen Maberly said previous experience showed food producers can help if they fortify foods with minerals.

"This ultimately means that governments need to put in place legislation to make it mandatory," he added.
Advertisement

Working closely with the UN Children's Fund, the FFI is a global lobby group pushing to make flour fortified with vitamins a standard practice among major producers.

Malnutrition can cost the global economy between 180 to 250 billion dollars in healthcare costs over the next decade, the group said.

In contrast, the total public investment needed to address the problem only comes to between four and five billion dollars, it said.

The group pointed out that birth defects had gone down in developed nations such as the United States, Canada and Chile where producers were required by law to inject vitamins and minerals into food.

Source: AFP
SRM/J
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest General Health News

First Human Case of Rare Swine Flu Strain H1N2 Found in UK
Swine influenza A viruses, including subtypes H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2, are prominent among pigs and sporadically transmit to humans.
Unraveling the Mystery Respiratory Illness in US Dogs
The microorganism "is a newly identified potential disease-causing agent, possibly originating from or evolving within the dog's microbiome."
Why Red Wine Cause Headache?
Flavanol naturally present in red wine can compromise the proper metabolism of alcohol and lead to a headache.
Raw Meat Raises Antibiotic-Resistant E.Coli Risk in Dogs
To reduce bacterial risks, pet owners can switch to a non-raw diet or obtain quality raw meat for cooking before feeding dogs.
U.S. Men Die 6 Years Earlier Than Women- A Review on Life Expectancy Gap
Since 2010, the gender gap in life expectancy in the US has increased to six years because of the pandemic, accidents, opioid overdoses, injuries, and suicide.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Asia Urged to Fortify Foods With Nutrients to Cut Down Malnutrition Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests