Daily Current Affairs 21 August 2023 – IAS Current Affairs
Current Affairs 21 August 2023 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :
India’s ultra-processed food
Source : The Hindu
GS III: Science and Technology
Overview
- About WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit
Why in News?
Recently, a report released by World Health Organization (WHO) and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations found that India’s Ultra-Processed Food Sector grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.37 % in retail sales value from 2011 to 2021.
About the Report
- The Indian ultra-processed food sector, which had been experiencing a steady growth rate, was hit hard by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
- In 2019, the sector was growing at a rate of 12.65%, but due to the pandemic, the annual growth rate plummeted to 5.50% in 2020.
- Sector demonstrated impressive resilience and made a remarkable rebound, achieving an 11.29% growth in 2020-2021.
- During the pandemic, there was a noticeable shift in consumer behavior, as health-conscious individuals became more concerned about maintaining their immune health.
- As a result, they moved away from carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages and shifted their preference to fruit and vegetable juices, which are perceived to have immune-boosting properties.
Recommendation
- The report emphasizes the need for stricter regulations on advertising and marketing, particularly concerning products like sweet biscuits that are popular among children.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should work closely with stakeholders to establish a clear definition of High Fat Sugar Salt (HFSS) foods and enforce strict guidelines.
- The report highlights the need for a robust national nutrition policy that can address both under- and over-nutrition, with well-defined objectives and targets set after extensive consultations with stakeholders.
- This policy should prioritize the promotion of healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyles.
- In conclusion, the report calls for a shift towards a healthier lifestyle by reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods and increasing the intake of whole grains. By doing so, we can improve our overall health and well-being.
Ultra-processed foods
- Ultra-processed foods are those with a long shelf life, have five or more ingredients, includes preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours.
- Chocolate and sugar confectionery, salty snacks, beverages, ready-made and convenient foods and breakfast cereals were the five popular categories of ultra-processed foods.
Food processing sector in India
- Food processing is any of a variety of operations by which raw foodstuffs are made suitable for consumption, cooking, or storage.
- India is the largest country in food production, food processing, supply, and consumption at the global level.
- This sector is expected to reach US$ 535 billion by 2025-26.
WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit
Source : The Hindu
GS III: Science and Technology
Overview
- About WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit
Why in News?
AYUSH secretary predicted $24 billion growth in the traditional medicine sector in 2023 before WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit.
About WHO Global Traditional Medicine Summit
- The WHO has worked on the standards and benchmarks for different traditional medicine systems and their integration into ICD.
- The inclusion of traditional medicine conditions in ICD will enable the counting of traditional medicine services and encounters, measurement of their form, frequency, effectiveness, safety, quality, outcomes, and cost.
- The ICD allows countries to count and identify their most pressing health issues.
- It does not include, refer to, or endorse any therapy.
- It will inform regulations, and allow comparison with mainstream medicine and research due to standardised terms and definitions nationally and internationally.
- WHO will inform regulations, and allow comparison with mainstream medicine and research due to standardised terms and definitions nationally and internationally.
- Around 40% of pharmaceutical products have a natural product basis, and landmark drugs are derived from traditional medicine.
- New clinically effective drugs can be identified through research methods such as ethnopharmacology and reverse pharmacology.
- Ethnopharmacology is the study of medicines derived from naturally occurring substances like plants and fungi that have been traditionally used by specific groups of people for medicinal purposes.
- Reverse pharmacology or target-based drug discovery (TDD): a hypothesis is first made that modulation of the activity of a specific protein target thought to be disease-modifying will have beneficial therapeutic effects.
- AI’s advanced algorithms and machine-learning capabilities can allow to explore extensive traditional medical knowledge, map evidence, and identify once elusive trends.
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