‘Right To Protein’, a dedicated protein awareness initiative, will mark the annual Protein Day this year on February 27 under the theme ‘Easy Access to Protein for All’. In its fourth year, the theme aims to draw much-needed attention to the accessibility of protein foods, encouraging citizens at large to learn more about protein and its importance in better nutrition and health.
With a population of about one billion in South Asia, strategic and urgent steps are required to arrest food inflation and security in many parts of the region. Given this, the theme of ‘Easy Access to Protein for All’ aims to drive dialogues and highlight solutions for citizens to stay informed of accessible protein food sources that can be included in daily diets and further the efforts to make ‘nutrition security’ a reality.
Head, Department of Nutrition, Medical Research Institute, Colombo, Dr. Renuka Jayatissa who is also a proponent of the Right To Protein initiative said, “Sri Lanka is rich in locally available sources of plant-based and animal-based protein, including affordable and nutrient-dense options such as fish and poultry. However, due to the economic crisis, the affordability of protein-rich foods is an issue, which might lead to protein deficiency in our diet, contributing to the prevalence of malnutrition in many age groups.”
“Addressing this issue requires a combination of awareness and the proper inclusion of protein-rich food in our diets. On the back of Protein Day this year, I encourage innovators within the industry to stir up conversations around the same while working towards ways to make protein-rich foods easily accessible in the country and more affordable for the population,” Dr. Jayatissa said.
Head of Marketing U.S. Soy SAASSA, U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), a supporter of the Right To Protein initiative Deeba Giannoulis said, “With this year’s theme for Protein Day, we encourage everyone to participate in dialogues, events and activities that help spread awareness of the many protein food sources accessible in South Asian countries.
We believe that we all have a role to play in ensuring that citizens are more cognizant of their protein requirements and the many protein food sources available.
We also wish to stimulate conversations around adding sustainable protein options to our diets, to collectively work towards the goal of nutrition security for all.”
For more information on Protein Day and how you can get involved, visit https://righttoprotein.com/protein-day.html.