Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has developed a new nutritional supplement, Thenamruth-nutribar, for children below 18 years.
The supplement is developed as part of Sambushta Keralam, being implemented by the Department of Community Science at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara.
The nutritional supplement seeks to improve the general immunity and disease resistance capacity of children, says KAU Vice Chancellor R. Chandra Babu.
Each nutribar of 100g will cater to one-third of the daily nutrient and calorie requirement of children, says principal investigator of the project Seeja Thomachan, who is also Head of the Department of Community Science, College of Horticulture. E.R. Aneena, C. Sharon and P.S. Lakshmi are the co-investigators.
“The product, developed from over 12 components including rice, wheat, corn, ragi, soya, Bengal gram, ground nut, sesamum and Jaggery, is a rich source of minerals such as iron and calcium,” says Dr. Seeja.
Distribution plan
The plan is to distribute 1,15,000 nutribars across the State through the Women and Child Development Department and complement the State government’s efforts for a nutritional secure Kerala.
The product is a step towards popularising the concept of ‘nutraceuticals’, in which food is taken as medicine by combining nutritional elements.
All efforts are under way for its commercial production for the benefit of the public, Dr. Chandra Babu says.
