Ahead of the annual Protein Day on 27th February, Right To Protein, a dedicated awareness initiative, has announced 'Easy Access to Protein for All' as the theme for 2023. In its fourth year, the theme aims to draw much-needed attention to the accessibility of protein foods, encouraging citizens at large to learn more about protein and its importance in better nutrition and health.

With a population of approximately one billion in South Asia, strategic and urgent steps are required to arrest food inflation and security in many parts of the region. Given this, the theme of 'Easy Access to Protein for All' aims to drive dialogues and highlight solutions for citizens to stay informed of accessible protein food sources that can be included in daily diets and further the efforts to make 'nutrition security' a reality.

Sanjay Sethi, executive director, Plant-Based Foods Industry Association, a staunch supporter of the Right To Protein initiative, said, "In India, historically our daily diets have been negligent towards protein foods, either due to lack of easy access or poor awareness of accessible protein food choices that one can make. This Protein Day, we aim to promote plant proteins to make citizens more cognizant of the importance of protein sufficiency for the overall health and nutrition levels of the country. Protein Day serves as a reminder for everyone to include sufficient protein in each meal and we encourage the industry, leaders in the field, nutrition experts, and physicians to help raise awareness among all individuals."

"According to the recent Indian National Family Health Survey, about 75% of Indians are non-vegetarians. However, other studies suggest that a similar majority of Indians suffer from protein deficiency. Therefore, this Protein Day, as we all work towards making India more aware of their protein consumption, we also need to continue our efforts as supporters of the 'Right To Protein' initiative to highlight the importance of access to protein. As key stakeholders in the industry, we take that responsibility seriously, and we urge everyone within the industry to join the movement," added Suresh Chitturi, managing director - Srinivasa Farms, president - International Egg Council.

"With this year's theme for Protein Day, we encourage everyone to participate in dialogues, events, and activities that help spread awareness of the many protein food sources accessible in South Asian countries. We firmly believe that we all have a role to play in ensuring that citizens are more cognizant of their individual protein requirements and the many protein food sources available. We also wish to stimulate conversations around adding sustainable protein options to our diets, to collectively work towards the goal of nutrition security for all," concluded Deeba Giannoulis, head - Marketing U.S. Soy SAASSA, U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), a supporter of the Right To Protein initiative.

Right to Protein is all set to celebrate Protein Day 2023 with supporters such as nutritionists, food industry experts, chefs, food brands, and like-minded citizens to come together to make India a protein-sufficient country.

Right to Protein urges everyone to join us on the 27th of February 2023 in celebrating #ProteinDay and promoting 'Easy Access to Protein for All'.