Bengaluru, 3rd May, 2018: Pristine Organics Pvt Ltd, a 25 years old Bangalore-based food technology & Nutraceutical company, pioneering in Food Research & Development announces the ONLY Indian company selected by India’s Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to address Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) issue.
FSSAI has begun to recognize genetic conditions such as IEM as an issue and has set up a new initiative - Diet4Life - to address this issue. The platform addresses various issues such as diet, healthcare, and support groups to adopt the right approach towards IEM management. The chosen five companies to address the issue are Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nestle and Danone (Nutricia), of which Pristine is the only Indian company, to address Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) issue.
Inborn Errors of Metabolism is a rare genetic (inherited or congenital) disorder, in which the human body cannot properly turn the food into energy for the body consumption. This type of a disorder is usually caused by defects in specific proteins or enzymes that helps breakdown or metabolize the parts of food. Children are affected by this are unable to survive beyond the age of 1 due to complications caused by protein build-up in the body.
In India, the diagnosis is extremely limited because of lack of awareness amongst the people. IEM cases in India often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Children with IEM Disorders tend to reflect different symptoms and signs based on the type of enzymes that is lacking in their metabolism. Typically, 1 in 2497 new-born suffers from this condition, and often don’t survive due to misdiagnosis and lack of awareness about the condition.
A special IEM Diet is required for these children to be able to process the food, and get the required nutrition for growth at the same time. IEM Diets can be formulated for specific condition. As IEM diets helps in management of the condition and increases the lifespan of the child, recent technological advancements such as enzyme replacement, gene therapy, and organ transplantation have opened doors for treatment of IEM.