New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has urged the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-Kundli) to develop a smartwatch-like device that can measure an individual’s daily calorie or energy intake which can help keep a tab on nutrition levels.

New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has urged the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-Kundli) to develop a smartwatch-like device that can measure an individual’s daily calorie or energy intake.

The device can be crucial to boost health and help prevent two-thirds of global deaths — caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

At a one-day workshop organised in collaboration with NIFTEM-Kundli, Dr. Subrata Gupta, Secretary, MoFPI, said that in today’s fast-paced world, health, and diet have become more important than ever.

At the workshop, titled SWASTH (Stakeholders Workshop on Actionable Strategies for Tackling High in Fat, Salt, and Sugar (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPFs), Gupta, noted a growing public consciousness around wellness, as evident from the increasing use of smartwatches to track daily physical activity.

However, he pointed out a critical oversight: “While we keep track of how many steps we walk each day, we often fail to monitor how much energy or how many calories we consume every day.”

Gupta also highlighted pressing concerns such as food adulteration in processed products and large-scale food wastage. He also called for collective innovation and action to tackle these issues.

Further, experts at the event also stressed the need to boost traditional food habits while also combatting adulteration.

Dr. Harinder Singh Oberoi, Director, NIFTEM-K said that NIFTEM-K, in collaboration with FSSAI is willing to work actively to standardise and notify methodologies for determining added sugar in food products.

Dr. Ravinarayan Acharya, DG, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), stated that the Ministry of Ayush is working closely with FSSAI, various central ministries, and state governments to ensure the safety, quality, and healthfulness of food products.

Dr. Satyen Panda, Executive Director (R&D) and Advisor (QA, FSSAI), addressed the risks associated with HFSS and UPFs.

“Adulteration is widespread in many processed items,” he said while emphasising the need for a balanced and scientific approach to combat this growing concern effectively.

The experts also strongly advocated the need for future policies to be grounded in rational, evidence-based frameworks that reflect the complex realities of modern food systems.

–IANS

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