'India's ethnic foods' wellness aspect needs attention'

Food-based approach to nutraceuticals in traditional foods is disappearing in India and instead capsule-based nutraceuticals is catching up, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Director V Prakash said today.

Visvesvaraiah Prakash, who had given up the post of Director-General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) on grounds of ‘health’, laid down his office today taking voluntary retirement after 40 years of association with this premier research institute, and as director, “changing the complete scenario in CFTRI to make it a global institution from a national institution,” as M S Swaminathan put it.

Speaking to the press on the eve of his laying down office some nine months ahead of his retirement, Prakash lamented, India was not contributing much in the area of food-based nutraceuticals though it was a rich storehouse of this traditional knowledge.

“Sadly, we are losing our ethnic foods. If somebody does not champion it, it would totally disappear and this would be a great loss. India should not lose its background with respect to nutraceuticals in traditional foods. Instead, we need to protect it and develop it so that its benefits are made use of instead of capsule-based nutraceuticals. We should consolidate it with research, validation and global marketing,” he said.

Prakash, who has authored ‘Food Safety and Standards Act Chapter IV’ on nutraceuticals, which is yet to be gazetted, said food-based approach to nutraceuticals is very important for India and hence he had chosen this area to work on as an Emeritus Scientist in the coming days, focusing on innovation in nutrition and nutraceutricals, health and wellness, as well food and nutrition security, with public-private partnership.

Prakash, who is also president of the Nutrition Society of India, said Mysore is a storehouse of this knowledge with academic centres like the Oriental Research Institute in Mysore, Maharaja’s Sanskrit College in Mysore, Sanskrit Academy at Melkote, Ayurvedic hospitals, and NGOs like Swami Vivekananda Centre at B R Hills.

While engaging in a multi-institutional job, he would also create awareness on nutrition essentially needed by women and children. “The present mid-day meal is nutritionally insufficient for children and it needs to be doubled at least,” he said pointing out the gaps.

As he is engaged in writing some five books as well, one can expect books on ‘generation gap in food’, ‘traditional foods losing its tradition’, ‘why is everyone is calorie conscious’, ‘health and nutrition’ and ‘heritage and foods’.

The outgoing director recalled the work done by CFTRI at the crisis time of tsunami in taking care of the victims with 68 tonnes of food. “We do not see any such thing happening even in advanced countries,” he remarked.

Stressing that agriculture and health would be the focus areas in the 12th Plan, Prakash said in the GDP of 8.2 per cent, agriculture contributed 5.4 per cent, and hence it would continue to attract priority.

G Varadaraja Rao, who assumed charge as the acting director, was also present.