McCann Health makes fine dining diabetes-friendly with Blue Dot

When dining out, people with diabetes seldom have it easy. Most dishes look appetizing. There’s a temptation to try something new. And the environment encourages people to take liberties. Consequently, after a meal, people end up with a feeling of guilt – and a spike in sugar levels. But things are set to change after the launch of Blue Dot on April 7, 2016.

Blue Dot is the brainchild of McCann Health, India and was developed together with United Diabetes Forum. In simple words, Blue Dot is a sign that tells you whether a preparation is appropriate for people with diabetes. It will feature in menus and nametags next to dishes deemed to be diabetes-friendly. It works just the way Green Dot does for vegetarian dishes and Red Dot for non-vegetarian. Currently, Blue Dot has been activated only in select dining establishments.

Blue Dot is supported with science and approved by regulatory bodies. Preparations worthy of Blue Dot are to adhere to strict parameters as defined by an expert panel set up by United Diabetes Forum. The panel includes noted diabetologists and endocrinologists (Dr Anoop Misra, Dr Shashank Joshi, Dr Manoj Chadha, Dr Banshi Saboo, Dr Rajiv Kovil, Dr Manoj Chawla, Dr Tejas Shah), nutritionists (Rekha Sharma, Shilpa Joshi, Dr Seema Gulati, Dr Jagmeet Madan, Soly James, Dr Bhaskarachary), as well as a psychologist (Dr Anuradha Sovani) and a statistician (Dr Vishnu Vardhana Rao).

The panel was constituted in June 2015 and deliberated over the proposal across several Advisory Board meetings. Once the expert panel arrived at a consensus regarding the definition of Blue Dot, the idea was presented to leading chefs, restaurant associations, lawyers, food technicians, government bodies, food inspectors, FMCG organisations and pharmaceutical companies. The consensus paper is due for publication shortly.

“The advent of Blue Dot is a notable achievement for a nation with over 60 million diabetes patients. In sum, it represents a revolution in diabetes care,” said Dr Harshit Jain, Senior Vice President & Country Head, McCann Health.

Blue Dot was launched on World Health Day in Mumbai. Holiday Inn and Sahara Star were the participating hotels. Special print collaterals were developed for the purpose, such as posters and tent cards. Executive Chefs Salil Fadnis (Sahara Star) and Sudhir Pai (Holiday Inn) dreamed up the Blue Dot recipes. The diabetes-friendly dishes were part of the hotels’ buffet menu. Both hotels were delighted with the response. Diners were keen to know more about Blue Dot and eager for more such experiences.

Going forward, United Diabetes Forum and McCann Health are ready to take the idea national. More hotels and restaurants are being lined up. And sooner than later, they believe Blue Dot will cross international borders.