A Guwahati-based acclaimed academic and nutritionist, Dr. Basanti Baroova, has been named a "Food Hero of India" by the Centre for Quality and Food Safety (CQFS), Delhi.
Dr. Baroova was recognized for her contributions towards the eradication of child malnutrition and contributions towards traditional food knowledge and nutrition education in India.
The award ceremony was held virtually recently in the presence of officials from the Food and Agricultural Organisation and Union Food Ministry.
She is the formulator of Assam Mix, India's first commercial weaning mix produced from academic research, made from locally available foods of Assam.
An official statement said that the product was clinically tested for three decades and has proven to be very effective in reducing child malnutrition.
It has been extensively used by organizations like Save the Children, World Vision, Oxfam as well as Government bodies for deployment in nutrition-related programmes across the country. Assam Mix is manufactured in Guwahati, the statement further said.
Dr Baroova was the professor and head of Nutrition in Assam Agricultural University in Jorhat. She also held positions in the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, Guwahati.
Additionally, she is also a member of multiple national-level institutions, policy-making and administrative bodies.
Dr. Baroova has been a leading figure in nutritional profiling in the Northeast and in promoting food safety and health in the region.
She is based in Guwahati and also runs an NGO called Swadesh, which works towards the development of maternal and child nutrition.
Apart from Dr. Baroova, four other eminent food technologists and farmers from across the country were also honoured.
