FAISALABAD:Proper awareness is imperative to overcome malnutrition as it is causing colossal loss of 7.5 billion dollars to national GDP per annum.
This was stated by the experts while addressing the 5th All Pakistan Nutritionists Convention organized by the Nutritionist and Dietetic Society and Faculty of Food and Nutrition and Home Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) at its Iqbal Auditorium here on Monday.
Presiding over the convention, Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan said that raising awareness among the people about nutritious food is need of the hour in order to overcome this crisis.
He said that after food security, the most important issue is nutrition security. The increasing trend of junk food among the young generation and children was deepening the nutritional crisis.
He said that malnutrition had damaged the people especially children and women. Hence, food fortification as well as biofortification should be promoted to overcome malnutrition. He called for pr
omoting genetically modified varieties.
Dean Faculty of Food Nutrition and Home Sciences Prof Dr. Masood Sadiq Butt said that due to malnutrition, the country GDP suffered a loss of up to three percent. He said that the UAF was producing the best manpower and eminent nutritionists.
He said that the UAF was the pioneer university in the country to launch a degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and this program was being replicated in several educational institutions.
Chairman Nutrition and Dietitians Society Dr. Muhammad Hussain Muawiya said that nutrition should be a part of the parliamentary debate and a detailed policy regarding nutrition should also be mapped out.
He said that nutrition experts should be appointed in institutions so that they can inform the employees and families of the institution about the importance of nutrition and also benefit from useful advice.
DG National Institute of Food Science and Technology Prof Dr. Imran Pasha said that UAF was providing consultancy to the Punjab Food
Authority and other government agencies to overcome this problem.
He said that the University of Agriculture was contributing to the development of the country by producing eminent food experts.
Prof Dr Ghazala Pervez Zaman, Dr. Anjum Murtaza, Deputy Director Punjab Food Authority Dr. Qasim Raza, Dr. Kamran and others also spoke on this occasion.