Coinciding with this year’s celebration of Nutrition Month, the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute inked a partnership deal with Metametrics, a nutrient-testing laboratory, to boost government efforts to end the cycle of malnutrition in the country via the NutriCheck campaign.
Under the partnership, Metametrics will complement and optimize the campaign of DOST-FNRI using social media as well as other forms of communication materials to disseminate updated and more comprehensive information about proper nutrition.
According to DOST-FNRI director Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, the research institute needs new science-based information that can be used for further research. Part of this is the conduct of various tests to know more about the metabolic functions of different nutrients and how certain food items affect changes in the body.
“All these require certain biochemical testing, and although we have capabilities for some of the tests, there are unique tests that only Metametrics can do,” said Capanzana.
Metametrics Laboratory has the most comprehensive nutrient-focused clinical diagnostics in Asia, which specializes in Metabolomics—the study of individual chemical fingerprints created during metabolic and cellular processes.
“We’re excited for this collaboration because this is the first major partnership that Metametrics will go into since it started operations September last year, and we’re happy that it is with DOST-FNRI, an agency that is at the forefront of food and nutrition and is committed to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos,” Metametrics general manager Rosalie A. Victorino said of the newly inked partnership.
According to Victorino, more than a nutrient testing, NutriCheck is an advocacy to make people more conscious about nutrition.
“People should know what they are eating; what they are putting on their plate. It’s about educating people, enabling them to make the right choices,” she said.