• Food technologists seek industrialization as
pathway to agricultural business transformation
• Coca Cola, NIFST partner to promote adequate
maternal, child feeding, others
Food science technologists and nutritionists have re-emphasised the importance of adequate nutrition in the first 1000 days of life to reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney damage and stroke in adulthood.

Food science technologists under the aegis of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) are also seeking food industrialisation as pathway to agricultural business transformation.

Food technologists at the 39th Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM), of NIFST, held recently in Owerri, Imo State, said nutrition in the first 1000 days of life is critical to development of non – communicable diseases.

The theme of the meeting: “Food Industrialization: A Pathway to Agribusiness Transformation”, drew legion of participation during various paper presentations and group discussion sessions.

The experts said investment in nutrition is crucial to future efforts to improve the health of women, children, and adolescents; the potential human, societal, and economic gains from such investment are substantial.

The experts said specific actions are needed to improve the quality of the diet; to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding; to ensure that everyone has access to essential nutrition actions; to provide adequate water and sanitation; and to provide information and education.

The United Nation (UN) Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, launched his second Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health in September 2015 a strengthened focus on nutrition is warranted, with special attention to the first 1000 days of life (from pregnancy to the child’s second birthday), pregnant and lactating women, women of reproductive age, and adolescent girls.

Former President of Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, who spoke at the Coca Cola sponsored session of the event with the topic: “Nutrition in the first 1000 days of life and implication for development of non – communicable diseases,” said: “The first 1000 days of life (from pregnancy to the child’s second birthday) present an important window of opportunity to improve child nutrition. The key pillar of any strategy to improve this—in addition to good maternal nutrition and health—is optimal feeding and care for infants and young children.

“Exclusive breast feeding (defined as the practice of giving an infant only breast milk for the first six months of life, with no other food or water), in particular, has the single largest potential effect on child mortality of any preventive intervention. Timely and adequate complementary feeding, with particular attention to vitamin and mineral content and the nutrient density of foods, is urgently needed.

“The health and nutrition statuses of women and children are intimately linked. Improving the health of women and children, therefore, begins with ensuring the health and nutritional status of women throughout all stages of life, and it continues with women being providers for their children and families. Thus, a key priority is female empowerment and women’s full and equal access to, and control over, social protection and resources such as income, land, water, and technology.

“Direct multi-sectorial actions to tackle critical women’s nutritional challenges, such as iron deficiency anaemia, need to be rolled out on a larger scale to achieve universal coverage.”

Oniwamo who is a professor of Human Nutrition at the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State, said the first two years, from pregnancy, of any child must be safeguarded in terms of the nutrition of the mother, which translates into the baby being carried in the womb, adding that such determines what better development the child would have in future.

He further stated: “What that means is the period of pregnancy to when a child is two years old is important. That period of life pattern of an individual is set. Nutrition of mother is very important. If a woman is malnourished, it means that the child is already malnourished, therefore, may give birth to low brain baby which may have implication for future Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), diseases it may affect the brain future development in life. Brain starts development inside the womb. All these will affect mental development. What we are saying is that we must pay attention to the mother during pregnancy and after delivery. We must breast feed that child from the first six months, thereafter, we must place food that is adequate, …after that future life of the child is set.”

The special sponsored session of the occasion was attended by the deputy governors of Imo and Kano states, Prince Eze Madumere (representing Governor Rochas Okorocha) and Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, respectively; the National President of the NIFST, Dr. Chijioke M. Osuji; a representative of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefile, Dr. Frank Ibeawuchi Amagwu; a representative of the International Fund for Agriculture and Development, Asoko Toda, among others.

Community Affairs Manager of Coca Cola Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Mba, said the company was associating with the NIFST, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) Oshodi, Lagos, medical research organizations and other international food and medical regulatory agencies in promoting health needs of humans in quest of excellence, adding that the company had carried such and other related physical activities, numbering about 280 in the about 115 countries, in its 129 years of existence in the business, covering about 205 countries it was doing marketing business in the world.

According to Mba, “We have found thrust in our consumers.” Continuing, he said the NIFST was found to be worthy of business partnering hence the sponsorship on the 39th AGM in Owerri, adding that the company would partner another and similar event in Ibadan soon.

He noted that as a food enriching company, the international regulators had certified the products of Coca Cola fit for human consumption in line with the aspirations of the company with enriching values in the body system.

Also, in his speech, Okorocha said in unlocking the potentials therein, the institute was in line with the aspirations of the Rescue Mission stance of the state government, stressing that the industry; industry; industry; job; job; job; programme of his present regime was inclusive of the NIFST’s programme.

The Imo State governor said all hands must be on deck to ensure that the food security programme could be taken to far reaching height.

Also in the ceremony, Abubakar said the country’s climate, supportive of Agricultural, cultivation and varieties of food products must continuously be taken serious.

Amagwu, on the side of the CBN, said the apex bank would maintain its stance in stable micro- economic environment in stimulating food and non- food products.

Toda said that food was essential to humans, adding that continuous research on its improvement must be put in motion.