HYDERABAD: On the occasion of World Egg Day on Friday, a meet was held at ITC Kakatiya where Vice-Chairman of International Egg Commission (IEC) and Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms Suresh Chitturi spoke on eggs, its health benefits and steps being taken to promote egg consumption.
“A newborn can consume eggs from the fourth month onwards. An egg has 6 gm protein and 14 essential nutrients, such as Vitamins A, D, E, Folate, Iron, Zinc, etc. Eggs play an important role in reducing malnutrition and eradicating hunger,” pointed out Suresh.
The per capita egg consumption in Telangana stands at 130, when compared to India’s 69. However, Indian Medical Council recommends the ideal per capita figure to be 180. In contrast, China consumes about 270 eggs per capita, while Japan tops the list with an average of 370 eggs being consumed per person per year. On the initiatives being taken by IEC, Suresh added, “We are partnering with Telangana government and are looking to adopt 30 schools and provide eggs as part of their mid-day meal programme for one year. Also, IEC plans to promote egg-centric themes across 10,000 schools in the Southern states highlighting the goodness of egg”.
IEC also has plans to set up an Egg Nutrition Centre to relay important information to doctors and healthcare professionals across the country.
