PMA asks Pakistanis to drink more milk

Karachi, August 12, 2015: Joining hands to address the critical issue of malnutrition, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and Tetra Pak Pakistan launch the #DrinkMoreMilk campaign under the Grow Healthy Pakistan initiative to create awareness of benefits linked with drinking milk. People of every age, including women, children and elderly, suffer from diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis and stunted growth due to nutrition deficiencies that can be alleviated with regular milk intake.

In his message to the people, PMA President Dr Ashraf Nizami said that milk is a unique natural package of essential nutrients required for the proper functioning of the body. “It contains not only calcium and vitamin D but also significant amount of other essential nutrients such as protein, iodine, vitamin A and phosphorus among others.” It is important for every individual to make a habit of regular milk consumption to maintain a healthy lifestyle, he added.

Talking about the role of UHT technology in promoting milk drinking, Tetra Pak Pakistan Marketing Director Assad Abbas said, “UHT milk is the most viable and effective dairy nutrition solution for Pakistan. Due to aseptic packaging and processing technology, it has a much longer shelf life and can be distributed far and wide in the country without the need for refrigeration. In the UHT process, raw milk is heated very rapidly to a temperature of around 137 degrees Celsius for just a few seconds, and then rapidly cooled. This technology ensures that practically all pathogens are eliminated, while the essential nutrients in the milk are maintained.”

He added that as the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company with its vision to make food safe and available everywhere, Tetra Pak can play a pivotal role in the fight against malnutrition in Pakistan.”
Speaking about the partnership with the PMA, Tetra Pak Pakistan Communication Manager Fahad Maral said, “malnutrition may not be as prominent in public discourse as some of the other socio-economic issues Pakistan is facing, but it is surely an extremely serious issue. Our cooperation with the PMA is an integral part of our broader Grow Healthy Pakistan initiative to highlight the value of milk in overcoming malnutrition, especially among children.”