Mysuru: Mysore MP Yaduveer Wadiyar on Friday urged people to adopt traditional and nutritious food for good health. The MP was speaking after inaugurating the 3-day Desi Oil Mela, organised by Sahaja Samrudha at the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choutlary here.“In today’s lifestyle, food is available to everyone, but nutritious food is not. In the race to achieve economic growth, we are losing our health. We need to regain our health by adopting traditional foods. Using cold-pressed (gaana) oils should be the first step in this direction,” he said.He noted that traditionally produced desi gaana oils protected the health of our elders. To create awareness among consumers about their importance, he urged the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) to study the nutritional properties of gaana oils and disseminate their benefits to the public.CFTRI director Giridhar Parvatam said there is currently a good market for ghani and cold-pressed oils in India compared to a decade back. “However, it is just 40-45% of edible oils in the domestic sector,” he said. He suggested that farmers should capture these markets directly by supplying cold-pressed oils, which help them earn more profits. He also mentioned the authentic flavours and aroma of ghani-based extracted edible oils, their versatile uses, and the importance of various bioactives present in such cold-pressed oils.Scientist Dr Mamatha Shekhar said there is good international demand for cottage industry products. “In the United States, gaana oils are in high demand, but export standards are stringent, preventing small entrepreneurs from becoming exporters. The govt should cooperate to simplify these standards,” he said.
