Nutrient content in food depleting due to deforestation : expert

Express News Service

Chennai:

Deforestation and soil erosion in the state during the last 50 years has depleted the micronutrients in the food posing a health risk to the population, according to an expert.

Addressing a press conference, distinguished alumnus of IIT Madras and Micronutrient Initiative president Venkatesh Mannar, who has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada, said that the food which the state consumes lacks the micronutrients which it possessed 50 years ago.

“Due to rapid deforestation, soil erosion the nurient content in food crop has dwindled resulting in iodine and iron deficies,” said Mannar, who was born in Chennai and graduated from IIT in 1970 with a B Tech in chemical engineering.

He said micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in small quantities and it makes a huge difference to survival and health.

He said that Micronutrient Initiative is currently working with Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation in producing double fortified salt whereby iron is added to iodised salt to reduce both iron and iodine deficiencies. “Currently, we have started this in the noon meal scheme of the state,” said Mannar.

He also said that Micronutrient Initiative has also tied with flour mills in producing fortified atta and maida. However, he said such initiatives in the state could be only successful with the state government taking up an initiative in this regard. He highlighted how Gujarat backed the introduction of fortified food in the state by making it mandatory for the mills to have fortified atta or maida. Interestingly, due to pressure from the flour mill owners, the government has to withdraw the order.

He said that Micronutrients Initiative is now expanding its work into new areas that includes scaling  up zinc for the treatment of diarrhoea, community based maternal and new born health and multiple micronutrients for the health, growth and development of children.