Accommodate innovation: Dr. V. Prakash

Once again this young issue of NuFFooDS Spectrum is in your hands to get a cosmic view of NuFFooDS globally and more so the current issues that pertain to the industry, academia, research and development, government departments, regulators as well as faculty and students fraternity with an opportunity of the growing market for Nutraceuticals.

How do we strengthen the processes and mechanisms at the national level with stronger links of economy integrated with agricultural policy and coordination, by reviewing from time-to-time a sustainable regulatory framework which can be responsive to multilateral layers of policy changes and scientific innovations in quick time? Are we ready for it?

In practice it is not so easy but nevertheless there must be enough space for accommodation of innovation in a dynamic way in our regulatory process. This has other agenda linked to it and cannot be addressed in isolation.

Firstly, capacity development and leadership and decision making, sustainability of incremental development, prevention of malnutrition and use of traditional knowledge with evidence based protocols, perhaps this is where we also require trained human resources. Secondly, one has to assure a sustainable growth rate in the market whether it is Nutritional, Nutraceutical or Natural, Dietary Supplements, Functional Foods etc.

Perhaps backward integration needs total webbing into forward linkages and one mantra may not work for the entire gamut of raw material across India and the need of a multi-model system using translational Nutraceutical Science addressing the targeted domestic as well as foreign market need to be embedded into the system and the Chain.
This has relevance to application of science, technology & innovation cascading into remunerative evidence based claims of products which can also interface with basic Nutrition on one side and preventive aspects on the other side.

Therefore, an integrated approach rather than an individual commodity or an institution or a policy approach perhaps is not a workable model for the multi-dimensional Indian market. Such a multi-pronged approach would obviously encompass the larger vision of food and nutrition security and to it will be webbed the health security both through naturals and preventive aspects.

The problem of low birth weight of babies and maternal nutrition needs a top priority as non-communicable diseases are trying to overtake that priority with their importance in the present lifestyle. Thus arises the ‘Triple Burden’ for the country. This can only beat tacked by ‘Team India’ approach with the goal of preventing diseases for better quality of life for the population by intervention of science and technology and consolidation of information for a sustainable health and a wellness society which can boost quality life impacting the holistic lifestyle of the population.

As Chairman of NuFFooDS Spectrum Advisory Board it gives me great opportunity to remind you that we are running around the corner for the March 12-14, 2014 Nutra India Summit at Bangalore and I am sure you have already made a place available for you at the conference and in case you have missed it time to trigger on to the system to ensure a wider and visible participation at the conference.

We look forward to seeing you all at the conference as we address many of these issues, pertaining to market and the regulatory, dynamically.

Dr V Prakash

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