• 89% of the children in the program experienced improved or stable growth parameters.

• 95.6% of mothers & caregivers reported an increase in their children’s appetite.

MUMBAI: The PepsiCo Foundation, in collaboration with PepsiCo R&D and Quaker, has released the ‘Building A Healthier Tomorrow’ report at an event in Mumbai, highlighting the success of the Quaker ‘Bowl of Growth’ program. Launched in 2023 with NGO MAMTA HIMC, the initiative aims to uplift community health by supporting 1,000 malnourished children aged 3-5 in Mawal & Mulshi Blocks, Pune District, Maharashtra.

The program places the mother and child at the heart of its interventions. It has empowered parents and caregivers with knowledge and resources to provide balanced nutrition to children. A key focus of the program is to intervene during the early stages of malnutrition to prevent its progression to severe forms, ensuring a healthier future for children.

Aligned with PepsiCo’s principle of ‘Partnership of Progress’, the Quaker ‘Bowl of Growth’ program strategically partnered with the Government of Maharashtra to ensure the scalability and sustainability of nutrition interventions. Building on the success of the first phase, Quaker will continue the program in Pune, reaching an additional 2,000 children, with further expansion plans for Mumbai, aiming to benefit 4,000 children.

The event witnessed participation from Shri Kailash Pagare, Commissioner, ICDS, Government of Maharashtra; Dr. Muralidhar P. Tambe, Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, BJ Govt. Medical College, Pune; Dr. Pietro Antonio Tataranni, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Life Sciences, PepsiCo; Kareem Mohamed, International Programs Lead, PepsiCo Foundation; Mijanur Rahman, R&D Region Senior Director, PepsiCo India, and South Asia; Rinkesh Satija, Senior Director and Supply Chain Head, PepsiCo India; and Dr Sunil Mehra, Executive Director, MAMTA HIMC; Dr. Govind Chaudhary, Deputy Director & State Nodal Officer for Child Health, Govt of Maharashtra. Dr. Bhushan Gagrani (IAS), Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shared a video message as part of the event.

Congratulating PepsiCo India, Shri Kailash Pagare, Commissioner, ICDS, Government of Maharashtra said, “The improvement in children’s nutritional health by the methodology of education, awareness and supplementation of nutrition is truly encouraging. These achievements highlight the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in addressing malnutrition. The Government of Maharashtra fully supports and appreciates such initiatives as it aligns with our state’s vision for a healthier future.”

Dr. Bhushan Gagrani (IAS), Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in his video message about the program, praised PepsiCo India for its dedication and commitment in launching the impactful ‘Bowl of Growth program in Pune, which aligns seamlessly with the state government’s efforts to eradicate malnutrition. He emphasized that the success of this initiative underscores the strength of public-private partnerships and stressed the importance of scaling this program to reach more children across Maharashtra.

C.D. Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Philanthropy for PepsiCo, commented on the significance of the program, “At the PepsiCo Foundation, we combat food insecurity through initiatives like meal delivery, supporting food banks, and regenerative farming. Malnutrition is a global issue, and proactive intervention is crucial to address the unique challenges faced in different regions. The Quaker ‘Bowl of Growth report highlights our commitment to improving childhood nutrition, showing significant gains in nutritional intake and knowledge. Our partnership with MAMTA HIMC has positively impacted community health in Pune, Maharashtra. Additionally, the support received from the local administration at every step over the last year has been instrumental in the implementation of the program. By addressing food insecurity at a local level, we aim to help create sustainable and long-lasting change in the communities we serve.”

Dr. Pietro Antonio Tataranni, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Life Sciences, PepsiCo added, “Through our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) commitment, we are dedicated to offering positive choices that benefit people and our planet. The impact findings of the ‘Bowl of Growth program highlight PepsiCo’s efforts in supporting underserved communities in India.  The results are particularly encouraging, with 89% of the children in the program experiencing improved or stable growth parameters. Additionally, 95.6% of mothers & caregivers reported an increase in their children’s appetite. These numbers are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our teams over the past year. It’s heartening to see that the enrolled children loved the panjiri, with nearly every child consistently consuming at least three-quarters of the provided recipe.”

Sravani Babu, Category Lead, Brand Quaker, PepsiCo India said, “At Quaker, our 145-year commitment to nutrition is embodied in the ‘Bowl of Growth’ program. The ‘Building A Healthier Tomorrow’ report highlights significant improvements in children’s nutritional intake and awareness among mothers and caregivers. The positive response to Quaker’s nutrient-rich panjiri recipe has been particularly inspiring. Through our partnership with MAMTA HIMC, we have made a substantial impact on community health in Maharashtra. Aligned with PepsiCo’s principle of Partnership of Progress, this program marks an important first step, with its expansion now reaching Mumbai.”

Dr. Sunil Mehra, Executive Director, MAMTA HIMC commented, “We are delighted to partner with PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo R&D for the Quaker ‘Bowl of Growth’ program. With a strong focus on both mothers and children, the sessions conducted for parents and caregivers have empowered them to become strong advocates for the program. Their support has played a significant role in achieving the positive results we are witnessing among children, mothers, and the community. We aim to continue our efforts with a focus on community involvement, sustainable practices, and strategic partnerships, aiming to replicate this success across various regions.”

Key Interventions of the Quaker ‘Bowl of Growth’ Program:

• Nutrition: Developed a local recipe ‘panjiri’, made with a specialized Quaker multigrain & millets -a based product with 18 vitamins & minerals.
• Awareness: Conducted thematic engagement sessions and released a program video on the importance of nutrition and millet.
• Education: Hosted daily workshops and introduced an illustrated comic book emphasizing balanced nutrition.

Quaker’s ‘Bowl of Growth’ initiative aligns with PepsiCo’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambition and ‘Food for Good’ efforts, aiming to provide nutritious food to 50 million people by 2030.

The report launch was complemented by ‘Fuel the Future,’ an educational initiative aimed at empowering community members. Through this national competition, Quaker, a brand that stands for nutrition, aims to empower students of India’s Nutrition and Allied Science College to be the changemakers, drive awareness, and educate communities about malnutrition.

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PUNE: The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, PepsiCo R&D team, and brand Quaker launched ‘Bowl of Growth’ a special nutrition-focused program in partnership with NGO MAMTA HIMC in Pune, Maharashtra to provide 1,000 children aged 3 to 5 years with wholesome nourishment each day. The interventions under the Bowl of Growth program are designed with a focus on three key pillars – Nutrition, Awareness, and Education.

In India, about 1.5 million children under the age of 5 suffer from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) as a result of inadequate dietary intake and infectious diseases. To combat this issue and mark the International Year of Millets, ‘Bowl of Growth’ curated a locally acceptable recipe of ‘Panjiri’, from a millet and multigrain-based Quaker product, containing 18 additional micro-nutrients designed by PepsiCo R&D team specifically to the local needs of children from the region.

The program was launched by Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra at a special event in Pune. The program was also attended by Smt. Rubal Agarwal, Commissioner, ICDS, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Ayush Prasad, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, Pune, Zillha Parishad, Dr. Pietro Antonio Tataranni, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, R&D Life Sciences, PepsiCo, Anshul Khanna, Senior Director & Category Head – Foods, PepsiCo India, Mijanur Rahman, R&D Region Senior Director, PepsiCo India, Kareem Mohamed, International Programs Lead, PepsiCo Foundation, and virtually by Vikas Khanna, celebrity chef & Quaker India brand ambassador.

Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra, said, “As we celebrate the International Year of Millets in 2023, the ‘Bowl of Growth’ program by PepsiCo Foundation and MAMTA, will help us take forward our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of positioning India as the ‘Global Hub of Millets’. Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, and the Government of Maharashtra welcome this initiative and offer full cooperation to PepsiCo for this program. Such collaborations between the private sector, government, and civil society organizations are the perfect example of how we can create a positive health impact among the underserved communities of the state, by working together and focusing on a common goal.”

Dr. Pietro Antonio Tataranni, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, R&D Life Sciences, PepsiCo, said, “Through our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) commitment, we are focused on providing positive choices that are better for people and for our planet. The ‘Bowl of Growth’ program is an important step in our efforts with Quaker to support underserved communities in India through education and awareness of the issue of malnutrition, along with the importance of millet and other critical nutrients in a child’s diet.”

C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation & Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo Inc., said, “At the PepsiCo Foundation, we have been working with our partners to combat food insecurity worldwide through various means, including delivering meals, helping food banks strengthen their operations, and supporting farmers with sustainable agriculture training. Food security is a global issue that requires innovative solutions that can be adapted and localized. Building upon learnings from a similar, successful program with malnourished children in Mexico, we are eager to partner with Mamta HIMC on improving access to childhood nutrition in Maharashtra.”

Ahmed ElSheikh, President, of PepsiCo India, said, “At PepsiCo India, we believe that good child nutrition can make for a brighter, more prosperous future. Through the brand Quaker, we have always focused on working towards bridging the nutrition gap and educating children on the importance of nutrition and an active lifestyle. The ‘Bowl of Growth’ program will focus on three key pillars – nutrition, awareness, and education to bring a positive change and create a lasting impact on children.”

Dr. Sunil Mehra, Executive Director, MAMTA HIMC, “Undernutrition in children sets in over a period and when unaddressed timely, mild malnutrition may proceed into moderate (MAM) and severe malnutrition (SAM). Parental knowledge of red flags or warning signs for early identification of malnutrition is critical for parents to intervene or seek help. We are delighted to associate with PepsiCo Foundation for the ‘Bowl of Growth’ program and through various on-ground interventions and nutritional supplements we look forward to creating a healthy and balanced lifestyle impact for children of Pune.”

‘Bowl of Growth’ is an extension of PepsiCo’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambition and Food for Good philanthropic efforts to create a sustainable future for people and the planet – including by increasing nutritious food access for 50 million people by 2030.

The program will be implemented in Khed Taluka, near Pune city in the Pune district of the state of Maharashtra where identified malnourished children will be provided with a nutritious supplement. The program will also include ongoing monitoring of the progress of the children to analyze the impact and nutritional recovery of the participants.

The program unveil was also accompanied by the launch of an illustrated comic book, designed to educate members of the target communities in an engaging format.

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