Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium (MMHRDC) in partnership with DOST – Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) recently held a research forum with the theme “Food, Nutrition, Health and Safety: Facing the Challenges of the New Normal” last May 17, 2022. The forum was supported by Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).
The speakers in the forum came from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) and DOST-ITDI and they have discussed about health and nutrition during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, proper food handling, nutraceuticals and functional ingredients, food packaging contaminants, and food preservatives.
Based on the results of the National Nutritional Survey conducted by DOST-FNRI last 2018-2019, only 44% of the Filipino households are food secure while 56% are not and these might have worsen due to the pandemic and the economic crisis that was caused by the pandemic.