February 9, 2002

SOYBEAN A VALUABLE TOOL FOR ERADICATING MALNUTRITION – SUMITRA MAHAJAN

Soybean has great potential for improving the nutritional status of the country’s population. Soybean has special value in a country like India where a large proportion of the population is vegetarian, as it contains very high protein (43.2 per cent). Soybean can also be easily incorporated in cereal based blended foods for infants and young children. Besides, recent scientific evidence reveal that phytochemicals present in soybean reduces the risk of chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardio-vascular diseases and even cancer. This was stated by Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, here today, while inaugurating Conference on "Soybean for Health and Nutrition Security in India".

Smt. Mahajan emphasised the need for adequate and intelligent marketing of soybean products. Giving the example of fast food such as cold drink which are now available even in remote areas of the country because of excellent marketing, she said that there was no reason why soybean could also not be made popular by converting it into market friendly preparation such as mathari, laddu, burfi and milk. Expensive advertising were also not necessary for efforts in this direction. Micro level seminar and promotion drive in rural areas could make soybean much more popular.

Smt. Mahajan pointed out that Soybean can be useful source of income – women cooperatives can take up production of soya badiyan, papad etc. on the pattern of Lijjat Papad Industry and help promote consumption of soybeans. Another very useful purpose soybean can serve is in the mid-day meal programme in States, which is trying very hard to provide cooked food to the primary school children. Single dish meals incorporating soybean could be prepared and used for school children, she added.