Kochi-grown tech behind nutrition programme wins Assam government award

KOCHI: Technology developed by the Kochi-based Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) for producing nutritious fish-based food products has won recognition in Assam, with the Matsya Paripushti nutrition programme receiving the Karmashree Award instituted by the Assam administration.

Key points

• The achievement has its roots in the CIFT-WorldFish collaborative research programme initiated in 2019.
• Matsya Paripushti is a government-supported nutrition programme implemented through anganwadis and schools in Assam.
• Under the collaboration, CIFT was entrusted with developing easy-to-prepare, affordable and nutritious fish-based food products.
• The technology has now received recognition through the Assam administration.

Matsya Paripushti is a government-supported nutrition programme implemented through anganwadis and schools in Assam. The programme adopted CIFT technology to develop fish-based nutritious food products for women and children.

Meanwhile, the achievement has its roots in the CIFT-WorldFish collaborative research programme initiated in 2019. WorldFish is an international non-profit research organisation headquartered in Penang, Malaysia, focusing on transforming aquatic food systems to reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty in developing countries.

Under the collaboration, CIFT was entrusted with developing easy-to-prepare, affordable and nutritious fish-based food products. The CIFT research team developed a nutrient-rich fish powder from small indigenous fish species that can be easily incorporated into various food preparations.

In practice, the technology has now received recognition through the Assam administration. The recognition marks an significant transition of fisheries research from the laboratory and field level to administration programmes and public policy, noted CIFT director George Ninan.

"The recognition demonstrates the enormous potential of India's small indigenous fish resources to simultaneously address child malnutrition, dietary diversity, women's livelihoods, local value chains and sustainable fisheries-based food systems, " he remarked.

In short, kochi-grown tech behind nutrition programme wins Assam government award is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.