The Protein Week 2020: Danone India and CII partner to sensitize Bangalore on the role of protein in building immunity

With an aim to sensitize Indians on the role of protein in building immunity, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together with Danone India, celebrated The Protein Week 2020 and pledged to bridge the protein gap in the country. As part of their commitment, Danone and CII today organized a workshop for working population of Bangalore, to create awareness about the role of protein in strengthening the immune system.

Leading nutritionists of the country engaged with people in Bangalore and other cities to sensitize them about the role of protein and other vital nutrients in boosting immunity. In addition to the 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 nutrition intake.

Speaking about the initiative, Ms Vinita Bali, Chairperson, CII National Committee on Nutrition said, “The idea is to sensitize people and make nutrition easy to understand, such that every day behavior changes towards healthier and more nutritious food choices. The Immuno- Nutrient Calculator developed by Danone with key partners is an example of this. CII’s National Nutrition Committee has been working multi-sectorally with food and ingredient companies, regulators, development sector partners, etc., to increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods and beverages, as under-nutrition continues to be a key development challenge for Indians.”

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director, Danone India said “At Danone, we are committed to address the protein deficiency issue which is a rising concern in India as indicated in studies. To address the local nutritional needs of the people, 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. 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.