Although India is the largest producer and consumer of dairy products, 83 per cent of consumers who do not drink milk are protein deficient, Creamline Dairy Products Limited (CDPL), a subsidiary of Godrej Agrovet Limited, said in its report on “ South India Protein Gap – a knowledge “, which was released on 15th October.

The report was launched by the renowned Nutritionist, Dr Dharini Krishnan, Hyderabad-headquartered Creamline Diary Products Limited (CDPL) Managing Director Bhaskar Reddy and CEO Raj Kanwar. Godrej Jersey appointed Karvy insights to understand the current ecosystem which includes farmers processors, consumers and study the potential role of dairy products. The survey conducted in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka and found that 80 per cent of consumer’s surveyed in this report were aware of the importance of protein in the daily diet while 68 per cent were unaware of the daily protein requirement, the report said.

About 92 per cent believed that their protein requirement is fulfilled by consuming dairy products but only 32 per cent of the surveyed adults consumed milk while 75 per cent of respondents ( both vegetarians and non-vegetarian) considered associated milk as an important source of protein but 62 per cent of the vegetarian adults in the survey were protein deficient, it revealed. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Raj Kanwar said the study indicated that milk is considered a complete protein source by 75 per cent of the respondents but only 32 per cent adults consume it.

Surprisingly, the awareness of the daily requirement of protein among consumers in various cities is seen to differ sharply and awarness is highest in Hyderabad ( 68 %) followed by Chennai (25%) and Bengaluru (5%), he added. In India, where the stapled food is majority carbohydrates, like rice and wheat, the protein is derived from these food sources and thus is insufficient, he said amplifying this issue is the fact that the awareness of correct protein requirement is extremely low in the country. It is interesting to note that while the main source of protein is vegetables, but a recent report from the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA) reveals that vegetarian diets in the country are 84 per cent protein deficient, he informed.

Dr Dharini Krishnan said the deficiency of protein, indicate either lack of body protein or deficiency of one or more essential amino acids. There are a lot of misconceptions associated with milk which need to be debunked, she said Milk is the most easily available and compatible protein source which can be consumed in diverse ways to suit the taste buds. It is prudent to ensure that milk and milk products form part of the daily intake – to ensure a balanced diet and a healthy life, the Nutritionist added.