• DoFTQC aims to change eating habits of consumers

Kathmandu, March 29

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DoFTQC) is organising a food exhibition in the Capital from Friday to encourage people to consume nutritious local food.

Organising a press conference here today, the department said that a wide variety of local food having high nutritious value are available in the market which needs effective branding. “The food fair aims to promote consumption of such local foods among Nepalis,” Purna Chandra Osti, spokesperson for DoFTQC, said.

The DoFTQC is organising the two-day event in coordination with Agriculture Entrepreneur Association (AEA) with the slogan of ‘Change eating behaviour, promote traditional, nutritious and local food’. “Today, consumption of imported foods is high in Nepal while people are reluctant to consume nutritious local foods. As food items made from millet, maize and wheat, among others have high nutritious value, such foods need to be promoted,” added Osti.

Moreover, Osti also said that low demand of traditional foods in the market has contributed to a gradual drop in their production.

The event will have altogether 80 stalls of which 15 will showcase traditional food items, 20 will disseminate information on food nutrition to visitors and 45 will sell a variety of food products manufactured by local industries.

“People today are not serious about their eating habits and they consume food randomly which can lead to health problems,” said Sanjeev Kumar Karn, director general of DoFTQC, adding that the department is holding such events every year to raise awareness among consumers to eat nutritious food and change their random food-eating habits.

According to him, Nepali people tend to have a habit of consuming only rice every day though there are other products made from maize, millet and wheat which have comparatively more nutritious value. “Through the food fair, we aim to change the eating habits of consumers,” said Karn.

Similarly, the department said that the food exhibition will also be an important place for learning for students who are studying food technology and those who want to know about food processing technology and machinery.

In a bid to attract larger participation from the public in the event, DoFTQC has made the entrance free throughout the event. The department aims to record participation of more than 50,000 people in the event this year.