Nestle supports FNRI-DOST for Food Fortification Month

From left Catherine Sarmiento-Nutritionist Nestle Phils; Kristine Mercado- Consumer Marketing Manager Bear Brand Powdered  Milk Drink; Wilfrido De Ocampo Consumer Marketing Lead Bear Brand Nestle Phils; Jojo Dela Cruz-Bus. Executive Manager Dairy Health & Nutrition Solution Nestle Phils; Jojo dela Cruz, Business Executive Manager for Dairy, Health, and Nutrition Solution of Nestlé Philippines, Inc. and Dr. Imelda Agdeppa Assistant Scientist FNRI Rice. Hotdog and Catsup–believe it or not this has become the typical breakfast of many Filipino children.

And you don’t have to be a health expert to know that this meal is certainly not the healthiest one you want your children to grow up to.

This is the reason why Nestlé Philippines and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology has further intensified its campaign against micro nutrient deficiency.

As the country commemorates Food Fortification Month the partnership aims to promote the value of consuming food products fortified with nutrients.

Nestlé points out that children’s malnutrition continues to be a main public health problem.

“Millions of Filipino school children are suffering from Micronutrient Deficiency, the condition in which their bodies are not getting adequate amounts of micronutrients like Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C,” notes BEAR BRAND Consumer Marketing Manager, Wilfrido De Ocampo, Jr.

“According to the 7th National Nutrition Survey, four out of five schoolchildren suffer from lack of Iron in their diet, one out of five lacks Zinc, and seven out of ten lack Vitamin C.  Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C are the three of the most common micronutrients that children fail to get from their diet,” he added.

Zinc deficient children may suffer impaired cognitive and motor function and can interfere with many organ systems especially when it occurs during a time of rapid growth and development and nutritional needs are high,

This is the reason why Milk Fortification has become an important and critical it is in the fight against malnutrition.

De Ocampo, said that Nestlé’s collaboration with FNRI-DOST is one of the ways to show commitment to promote good food and good nutrition. “With greater health awareness and better food options, children are better equipped to help with their proper growth and development,” he said. “This is Nestlé’s commitment to providing Tibay to Filipino families.”

To highlight the value of consuming fortified food products, Nestlé shares the findings of a collaborative study with FNRI-DOST  involving over a hundred students from six public schools. The children were given milk fortified with Iron, Zinc and Vitamin C everyday for a period of four months.

After the study, the children experienced increase in height and showed improvements in their concentration, comprehension and memory based on the tests used to measure these parameters.  The children also showed higher levels of Iron, Zinc, and Vitamin C, important nutrients to help them develop strong body resistance.

Nestlé Nutritionist Kathy Sarmiento said that these findings show the effectiveness of Food Fortification against Micronutrient Deficiency. “Drinking fortified milk everyday like BEAR BRAND Powdered Milk Drink provides Tibay Resistensya Nutrients that helps strengthen immune system, and essential vitamins and minerals needed for better physical development,” she said.

The results of the past survey serve as inputs to national nutrition-oriented plans and programs of the country such as the Medium-Term Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, Medium-Term Philippine Plan of Action for Children, National Food Fortification Act of the Philippines and Poverty Alleviation Programs, among others.

Nestlé emphasized the important contributions of survey from FNRI-DOST that will help enhance the population’s health knowledge and designing other programs to address health concerns like Micronutrient Deficiency.

“Nestlé Philippines is at one with the FNRI-DOST in promoting Food Fortification and good nutrition,” said Jojo dela Cruz, Business Executive Manager for Dairy, Health, and Nutrition Solution of Nestlé Philippines, Inc.

“We will continue to nurture our partnership with the FNRI-DOST and promote the health benefits of consuming Fortified Foods to help current and future generations grow up with stronger, healthier, and brighter prospects for the future,” he continued.

Milk’s Makeup (Source)
According to the National Dairy Council, milk is filled with nine essential nutrients that benefit our health:
Calcium: Builds healthy bones and teeth; maintains bone mass
Protein: Serves as a source of energy; builds/repairs muscle tissue
Potassium: Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy
Vitamin D: Helps maintain bones
Vitamin B12: Maintains healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue
Vitamin A: Maintains the immune system; helps maintain normal vision and skin
Riboflavin (B2): Converts food into energy
Niacin: Metabolizes sugars and fatty acids
One 8-ounce glass of milk provides the same amount of vitamin D you’d get from 3.5 ounces of cooked salmon, as much calcium as 2 1/4 cups of broccoli, as much potassium as a small banana, as much vitamin A as two baby carrots and as much phosphorus as a cup of kidney beans!

As far as nutrients go, the list for calcium’s benefits is impressive. A good calcium intake is credited with healthy bone and teeth formation in children, and it even provides longer-lasting benefits well into our more mature years. Nutrition experts say that consuming and storing enough calcium early can help head off osteoporosis later on in life.

Calcium has also been found to help regulate blood pressure, by interacting with sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Studies have found that people whose diets are low in calcium have a higher incidence of high blood pressure.
You can also count on calcium to help blood clot faster, which is good to know, since active children and adults can experience cuts and scraped knees while playing in the street or engaging in sports. Calcium also has a key role in making sure that important bodily functions such as impulse transmission through the nerves, muscle contraction, hormone production, and enzyme production and activation are carried out smoothly.

Where to find it
You don’t have to look hard — calcium is actually the most abundant mineral in the human body.  We actually carry about three pounds of calcium: 99% of it is stored in the bones and teeth, while the remaining 1% is found throughout the body in the blood, muscles, and fluid between the cells. Then, because calcium is already “deposited” in it, the body acts as a bone bank. If blood calcium levels are low due to poor calcium intake, calcium is “withdrawn” from the bones to ensure normal cell function. The lack of calcium deposits can lead to the serious medical conditions.

Where to get more  Milk and milk products like NIDO Fortified, BEAR BRAND Powdered Milk Drink and NESTLÉ Fresh are still the number one sources of calcium. But there are other foods that are rich in this nutrient, such as fish (particularly smaller ones such as anchovies or sardines), shrimp paste, tofu, and green leafy veggies like broccoli, spinach, malunggay leaves, alugbati, and saluyot. Nuts and seeds like almonds and sesame seeds are delicious options too. There are also calcium-fortified fruit juices and tofu products that are now available in supermarkets.  To keep the calcium in your body, experts advise sticking to a healthy lifestyle, as smoking and too much alcohol can decrease calcium absorption in the body.