Nestlé Ghana Marks World Milk Day with Media Engagement

Accra, Ghana, June 1, 2018//-Nestlé Ghana today organised a nutrition workshop for selected journalists in Ghana to mark this year’s World Milk Day.

The workshop which was themed ‘Good Food, Health and Nutrition – Realizing the Goodness of Milk at all Stages of life’ afforded senior officials of the company to impart their knowledge in food nutrition to the journalists.

Speaking on the importance of milk in everyday nutrition, Dr. Niilante Amissah, Lecturer at the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Ghana encouraged the media to promote milk consumption at all stages of life.

“Milk includes high quality protein and all the essential amino acids needed for growth. We should promote milk consumption at all stages of life. Individuals should however, consume milk that is appropriate for them because as one grows older, it is important to have less saturated fat thus the need to take milk with less fat or skim milk.”

All over the world, milk is regarded as a key dairy product contributing to economic and nutritional benefits of individuals and families. According to the International Dairy Federation, Milk is a good source of calcium, protein, and essential nutrients such as phosphorus contributing to over one billion livelihoods on dairy farms economically.

The Food and Agriculture Organization, as cited by the International Dairy Federation, predicted that the human population will increase from approximately 7 billion in 2011 to 9.5 billion in 2050 and that the growth in population size and affluence will increase the demand for dairy products by at least 50%.

Over the course of life, inadequate intake of nutrients, such as calcium, leads to weakening the bones, thus increasing the risk of fractures later in life, particularly in women. Regular consumption of dairy products, including milk, can help prevent diseases such as osteoporosis.

Dr. Amissah lauded Nestlé for playing an active role in nutrition education in Ghana, West and Central Africa.

The Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, Mrs. Freda Duplan, said Nestlé has a responsibility to engage stakeholders and share nutrition knowledge to help them make better food choices for their growth and wellbeing.

“As a Nutrition Health and Wellness Company, sharing nutrition knowledge is of paramount importance to us. It is in fulfillment of our Purpose of ‘Enhancing Quality of Life and Contributing to a Healthier Future’.

As we commemorate World Milk Day, I reaffirm Nestlé’s commitment to micronutrient fortification and our ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030”, she stated.

Mrs. Duplan urged the media to realize the value of milk not just for the development of children but also for the wellbeing of individuals at all stages of life.

Madam Audrey Essifie, a manager at Nestlé Ghana reiterated: ” Nestlé is committed to addressing under-nutrition through fortification of its foods and beverages”.

According to her, Nestlé Ghana ensures that its quality, safe, tastier and healthier choices are fortified with the right micronutrients. This forms part of the  Nestlé’s Global Fortification Agenda.

Products such as Nido®is fortifiedwith Vitamin C and Iron, Maggi® with Iodine and Iron, and Cerelac® with Iron to help address deficiencies.

There was a Milk Recipe Cooking Competition to encourage people to lead healthier lives by cooking easy healthy meals with milk. Nine reporters formed a team of three each and cooked to compete for special prizes from Nestlé.

Lilipearl Baaba Otoo of Business and Financial Times, Michael Abayateye of the Ghanaian Times, and Christabel Addo of the Ghana News Agency emerged the overall Best Team of the competition.

African Eye Report 

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