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FSSAI selects Pristine Organics to address inborn errors of metabolism
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Saturday, 05 May, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Bengaluru
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Pristine Organics has been selected as the only company in India by FSSAI to address the inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) issue.
The country’s apex food regulator has begun to recognise genetic conditions, such as IEM, as an issue and has set up a new initiative, Diet4Life, to address the same.
The platform addresses various issues such as diet, healthcare and support groups to adopt the right approach towards IEM management.
The five companies chosen to address the issue were Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nestle and Danone (Nutricia).
Pristine Organics, which is based in Bengaluru, is the only Indian company to address the IEM issue.
Inborn errors of metabolism is a rare genetic (inherited or congenital) disorder, in which the human body cannot properly turn the food into energy for the body consumption.
This type of a disorder is usually caused by defects in specific proteins or enzymes that helps break down or metabolise the parts of food.
Children are affected by this are unable to survive beyond the age of one due to complications caused by protein build-up in the body.
In India, the diagnosis is extremely limited because of the lack of awareness amongst people.
IEM cases in India often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Children with IEM disorders tend to reflect different symptoms and signs based on the type of enzymes that are lacking in their metabolism.
Typically, one in 2,497 newborn suffers from this condition, and often don’t survive due to the misdiagnosis and the lack of awareness about the condition.
A special IEM diet is required for these children to be able to process the food and get the required nutrition for growth at the same time.
IEM diets can be formulated for specific condition. As IEM diets help in management of the condition and increase the lifespan of the child, recent technological advancements such as enzyme replacement, gene therapy and organ transplantation have opened doors for treatment of IEM.
“We have children from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Rainbow Hospital, Hyderabad, and hospitals in Bengaluru and Chennai using diets for IEM. Their nutrition, growth and development are no longer stunted,” said K C Raghu, founder and managing director, Pristine Organics.
The Bengaluru-based company caters to over 500 IEM patients. It can provide the required diet at a fraction of the costs, being an Indian company with its research and development (R&D) and manufacturing facilities in India.
Previously, it was imported from Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nestle and Danone (Nutricia), and that cost a lot.
FSSAI has entered a partnership with professional organisations, healthcare professionals and corporate to address the challenge that plagues our society.
The treatment process in the initial years of IEM discovery was the restriction of dietary proteins, which resulted in malnourished children with further complications.
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