The Protein Week 2020: Danone India partners CII to sensitize people in Mumbai

Mumbai: With an aim to sensitize – Indians on the role of protein in building immunity, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together with Danone India, has launched the fourth edition of The Protein Week, which is being organized from July 24th to 30th. As part of this initiative, public health awareness programs will be organized digitally in some of the Indian cities including Mumbai where protein deficiency is a major concern. As per a study conducted by Kantar IMRB in 2017, 70% population of the city was grappling with protein deficiency.

This year, leading nutritionists of the country will engage with corporate workforce in Mumbai and other cities to sensitize them about the role of protein and other vital nutrients in strengthening the immune system. In addition to this public health awareness program, Danone India has launched a first-of-its kind Immuno- Nutrient Calculator, in collaboration with nutrition experts from Fitterfly. This calculator helps consumers to assess the intake of relevant nutrients in daily diet that support immunity and enables them to take necessary steps to improve their nutrient intake. The Immuno- Nutrient Calculator has been made available for public.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr Arabind Das, Chairman, CII National Committee on Allied Sectors in Agriculture said, “We are pleased to partner with Danone India on this important health agenda. By sensitizing people and enabling them to better understand their nutrition needs, we hope to bring about a positive change in people’s approach towards nutrition and eating habits. CII is committed to protecting the health and well-being of the people from all walks of life to make India healthier and this initiative is a step forward in that direction.”

Speaking on the initiative, Mr Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director, Danone India said “At Danone, we are committed to address the local nutritional needs of people. As studies indicate that Indians consume insufficient protein in their diet, Danone India has been organizing The Protein Week since 2017 to tackle issues related to protein deficiency through public awareness campaigns with partners. This year, we are excited to partner with CII and drive a large-scale public education campaign through various initiatives planned during the week.”

The Protein Week initiative is an effort to re-establish the importance of protein for health and wellbeing. Protein plays a vital role in building a strong immune system, that can offer protection from seasonal illness and several other health problems. Protein make up the framework of body defense systems, antibodies, enzymes and hormones. In addition to protein, nutrients like vitamin A, C, D, E, B6, B12, zinc, folic acid, iron and copper are also essential to build immunity.

Protein deficiency continues to be a major health concern in India, and according to an IMRB survey in 2017, seven out of ten Indians are protein deficient and 93% of Indians remain oblivious to their daily protein requirement. Danone India, through this initiative and by continuously innovating its product portfolio aims to deliver health through food and bridge the protein gap in India.