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Food Products

Nutritional Suppliments

In a country where 60% of the population live below poverty line and so people suffer from various nutritional deficiencies. Drug companies have entered this area to produce nutritional supplements in a big way and following are some of them,

Preparation (trade name)	Amount of protein in 200g	Cost
Protinex	112 gms	Rs.97.52
Protinules	46 gms	Rs.105.00
Resource High Protein	40 gms	Rs.160.00

An adult (weighing 60 kg) needs 60 grams of protein a day. A child needs more protein say 3-4 grams of protein per kilo body weight. Thus a child weighing 10 kilos needs 30 grams of protein a day. And if the child is put on Protinex then per day cost would be around Rs.26.00. If she/he were to consume Protinules then it would need to consume little less then a pack a day at a cost of Rs.105.00 a day!

Here is a cheap effective alternate formula known as Hyderabad formula.

Ingredient	Amount	Protein	Approx.Cost
Wheat	400 gms	48 gms	Rs.5.40
Bengal Gram	160 gms	16 gms	Rs.4.00
Groundnut	100 gms	26 gms	Rs.3.50
Jaggery	200 gms		Rs.3.00
Total	860 gms	90 gms	Rs.15.90

This preparation is comparatively cheaper and also it contains other necessary vitamins and minerals, annulling the argument of the drug companies that their preparation contain vitamins.

It is actually the poor who need a nutritious diet, but preparations of the drug industry are expensive to be included in the daily diet of even a middle class family.

Here are examples of food supplements popular in the market. All the supplements listed are expensive to be included in the daily diet of even middle class. Studies have shown that Horlicks and Bournvita were highly preferred by the lower income groups. The doctor in the advertisement is a gimmick by which the consumer is lured to buy the product.

To stabilise the sales of such products not only they advertise vigorously but they are also involved in sponsoring seminars, conferences for doctors.

There have been occasions when Horlicks has donated TV sets for use of hospitals and patients with the name ‘Horlicks’ inscribed on it.

The ingredients used in these different products are by and large repeatedly the same.

Product & company	Ingredients	Weight	Cost
‘Protinex’ by Pfizer	Protein 16.8g VitA 1600u C 25 mg, B1 1mg B2 1.37 mg B6 .5 mg B12.5mcg E 5iu D3100iu Niacinamide 15mg Malt ext 4.8mg Panthenol 1mg Cal pho .4g K.13g H 10mcg, Folic acid 50mcg Choline .15g Ferrous glucante 17mg per 30g	200 gms	Rs.97.52
‘Protinules’ by Alembic Milk	proteins 7g, Carbohydrate 17.5g, Inositol 25mg, Niacinamide 20mg, Vit A 5,000iu,D-3 500iu, B-1 2mg,B-2 2mg,B-6 1mg, B-12 15mcg, Calcium Pantothenate 1.5mcg per 30mg	200 gms	Rs.105.00
‘Resource High Protein’ by Novartis	Protein 8.8g, Carbohydrate34.3g, Fat8.8g, beta carotene 225iu, vit D15mg,vitE3IU,vitK15mcg,vitC15mg, Niacin5mg, folicacid 30 mcg, pantothenic acid 3.6mg, choline 1mg, calcium 150mg, phosphorous 150mg, iron 2.3mg,zinc.7mg, iodine 75 mcg, sodium 97.3mg, potassium 135mg per 15g	200 gms	Rs.160.00
‘Nurrish’ by GSK	Protein 20mg, fat 10g, carbohydrates 61g,vit A 5500iu, D500iu, C100mg,E18mg,B-1 4mg,B-2 4mg,B-6 3.5mg,B-12 3.5mcg,Nicotinamide 50mg, calcium 1400mg,iron 20mg, zinc 40mg,iodine 140mcg per 100g	200 gms	Rs.114.00