Sight and Life 3 2007
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SIGHT AND LIFE Magazine Issue N o 3/2007 End of “Iron age” WHO consultation: Control of iron deficiency in malaria Golden Rice School-based nutrition in Guatemala Seasoning powders Vitamin A research update Behavior change research Asian Congress of Nutrition Inside SIGHT AND LIFE Recent literature Alumni in Community Eye Health News Letters to the editor Publications Mosquito bite Did the “iron age” end in Pemba? The dilemma of iron supplementation in malaria-endemic regions Until 2006, micronutrient supplements in the order of recommended dietary allowance (RDA) dosages, including that for iron, were considered inherently safe. The RDA values for iron for children in this age bracket are based on estimates to cover the requirements for growth and metabolism and to replace iron losses. Please read further on page 6. SIGHT AND LIFE Contents Hierarchization of school-based nutrition Did the “iron age” end in Pemba? 6 for Guatemalan schoolchildren 23 Contents Welcome 4 Golden Rice and biofortification 16 Did the “iron age” end in Pemba? 6 Hierarchization of school-based nutrition for Guatemalan schoolchildren 23 Multiple micronutrient-fortified seasoning powders in preschool children in Chongqing suburb 28 Summary of the conclusions of the Recent advances in vitamin A WHO consultation 14 absorption and transport 32 Correspondents Bruno de Benoist Philip Harvey Alfred Sommer William S. Blaner Richard F. Hurrell David I. Thurnham Martin Bloem Rolf D.W. Klemm Andrew Tomkins George Britton Donald S. McLaren Emorn Wasantwisut Ian Darnton-Hill Regina Moench-Pfanner Keith P. West Jr Omar Dary Christine Northrop-Clewes Yu Xiaodong Frances R. Davidson Noel W. Solomons Chittaranjan S. Yajnik John W. Erdman Jr Florentino S. Solon Michael B. Zimmermann 2 Contents Magazine Issue 3/2007 Multiple micronutrient-fortified seasoning Experiences of SIGHT AND LIFE Alumni in powders in preschool children in Chongqing Community Eye Health at the International suburb 28 Centre for Eye Health 63 Applying behavior change research Experiences of SIGHT AND LIFE to promote micronutrients 38 Alumni in Community Eye Health at the International Centre for 10th Asian Congress of Nutrition 43 Eye Health 63 Inside SIGHT AND LIFE 47 News 68 Recent literature 50 Letters to the editor 73 Publications 75 3 SIGHT AND LIFE Welcome Welcome Biofuels or biofools ? The tragic consequences of global warming, such as How “biofoolish” is the use floods, droughts and shortage of clean water, hit the of food crops for biofuel pro - poorest populations of the developing world the hard - duction instead of meeting est. The prognosis for the most vulnerable populations the ever-increasing demand is poor as the increased frequency and severity of these from global food needs? climate-related disasters stretches their resilience and Clearly, the possibility of choking the climate through adaptive capacity to the limits. But climate-related continuing reliance on fossil fuel-based energy humanitarian emergencies are not new, particularly in sources, or of poverty-striken masses starving as food parts of the world that are familiar as sites of major crops fill gas tanks instead of stomachs, are both unde - floods and food insecurity, such as sub-Saharan Africa, sirable outcomes. We all want a world which Nature Bangladesh, etc. defines as tolerable for all life on Earth; we also want to ensure that there is enough nutritious food to eradi - To put this into perspective, however, it must be stated cate global hunger and malnutrition. We have already that there is a clear link between increasing economic declared our commitment to achieving these outcomes growth and social development (as represented by per in the first and the seventh Millennium Development capita GDP, accompanied by improvements in health, Goals. Do we now really stand at a crossroads where such as increased life expectancy and child survival) we must choose one or the other? and increasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions resulting from increased energy con - A closer analysis of the issues reveals more complex sumption. Improved health and increased wealth in relationships between a whole host of factors relating large parts of the world, most markedly in Asia and to food production and use. Critics of biofuels warn Latin America, have literally been fueled by carbon- that large-scale fuel production could divert agricultur - intense operations. In short, development needs al production away from food crops, and result in energy. increased food prices as the increased demand for these commodities outstrip the available capacity to supply Given the centrality of energy needs to human devel - them. However, energy, agricultural and export policy, opment and well-being, one of the major global res- adverse weather, and greater numbers of people mov - ponses to mitigate climate change has been to seek ing out of poverty are also important factors. Recent alternative, low carbon-emitting sources of energy. Of disruptions caused by bad harvests have affected food all the options currently available (solar, wind, hydro, supply far more than the current demand resulting from nuclear, etc.), the candidate that appears most promis - biofuel production. Another significant factor is rising ing as the fastest way to reduce dependency on fossil wealth, particularly in the developing world: the rise of fuel-based energy sources is the class of crop-based per capita income in emerging markets is responsible renewable energy sources known collectively as bio- for as much as one-third of the current food-price infla - fuels. Yet, this potential solution has been fraught with tion. With increasing incomes, households can more controversy as current major sources of biofuels are regularly consume higher-value, micronutrient-rich also major staple food crops (the most controversial foods, such as meat and dairy products. In China, beef being corn, palm and soybean oil) and their use for consumption has risen by 26% since 2000, and pork – energy production could compete with food supply, an already popular meat – has risen by 19%. Even in particularly in poor countries that depend on imports – India, where much of the population is vegetarian, or aid donations – of these commodities. chicken consumption has almost doubled since 2000. Between these two most-populated countries, such per - centage increases represent millions of people. 4 Welcome Magazine Issue 3/2007 Rising demand for biofuels and high fuel prices are Connected to the topic of biofuels and climate change having a dramatic impact on millions of people relying are tropical diseases, such as malaria, which inspired on food aid. The overall cost of the World Food me to use the recent observation in Pemba, Zanzibar on Programme reaching a hungry person has gone up by iron supplementation in malaria-endemic areas as the 50% over the last five years. Biofuel critics also point cover story for this issue of the Magazine (see page 6 to the reduction in the quantity of food aid from the for a commentary and page 14 for a summary of the United States, the largest donor of food aid, to benefi - WHO recommendations). The dilemma of mitigating ciary countries, even as the needs continue to rise. iron deficiency anemia in these areas was also intense - However, reports have suggested that the proportion of ly discussed at the first meeting of the Micronutrient the food aid budget spent on overhead (i.e. shipping) Forum, which took place last April in Istanbul, Turkey. has also increased significantly as a result of rising fuel The theme was “Consequences and Control of prices, meaning less funds for actual food procurement Micronutrient Deficiencies,” and we are pleased to in addition to increased commodity prices. include a supplement on this meeting in this issue of the Magazine. The reporters, particularly Christine Nonetheless, the biofuel rush cannot escape all the crit - Northrop-Clewes and David Thurnham, did a wonder - icism leveled against it. In the near term, while farmers ful job of compiling the results of this high-profile in countries that account for a majority of the world’s meeting. biofuel crop production (i.e. USA, Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia) will enjoy the promise of markedly Further topics in this issue of the Magazine include higher commodity prices and incomes, the urban and an update on recent developments in Golden Rice rural poor in food-importing countries will pay much (page 16), a study on multiple micronutrient-fortified higher prices for basic food staples and there will be school meals in China (page 28), and a report from a less grain available for humanitarian aid. recent conference organized by ILSI Asia Pacific on consumer behavior and nutrition (page 38). With undernutrition affecting over 800 million people (and hidden hunger affecting about 2 billion people) With best regards, worldwide and the demand for crop commodities expected to exceed supply in the near future, food security will depend as much on technological advances in increasing crop yields and production of micronutrient-rich food as it does on poverty allevia - tion and more equitable food distribution. 5 SIGHT AND LIFE End of iron age Did the “iron age” end in Pemba? Klaus Schümann Central Institute for Nutrition and Food Science, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan Frank Christ Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich Correspondence: Klaus Schümann, Central Institute for Nutrition