Hidden Hunger Approaches That Work

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Hidden Hunger Approaches That Work ALLEVIATING Hidden Hunger Approaches that work by Eileen Kennedy, Venkatesh Mannar & Venkatesh Iyengar he world has come a long way at the national level. The payoff for in understanding the nature, eliminating hidden hunger through Tmagnitude and range of nutrient fortification is enormous and solutions to micronutrient malnutrition few other public health interventions – often called “hidden hunger”. The offer such a promising health, most sustainable solutions – that is nutrition and economic success story. those that are likely to be maintained Nuclear and isotopic techniques in the long term – almost surely will are valuable tools in helping to meet include food-based approaches the multifaceted challenges posed by including diet diversity, food nutritional disorders affecting the fortification and biofortification. Food entire human life span (embryonic to fortification and biofortification could elderly). Among the numerous be some of the most cost-effective of applications available, isotopic all public health interventions and techniques are uniquely well suited thus within the economic reach of for targeting and tracking progress in even the world’s poorest. In order to food and nutrition development implement them in a sustainable programmes (See box: How Nutrients manner, a combination of technical, are Tracked). These include: use of operational, economic, behavioural the stable isotopes of iron (Fe) and Despite abundant global and political factors need to be zinc (Zn) as a kind of gold standard in food supplies widespread addressed. In some ways the studies of their bioavailability from technological issues are the easiest. foods; trace element bioavailability malnutrition persists in Because of attention to research, we and pool sizes for measuring the many developing countries now have a variety of ways for both effectiveness of nutrition supple- Micronutrient malnutrition single and multiple micronutrients to mentation or fortification trials; reach the target population. We also isotope dilution methods used in the is particularly damaging know what is needed in order to assessment of vitamin A status tracing but it can with relative ensure delivery systems. The key through carbon-13 (13C) carotenoids. ease be eradicated factor for continued success in Further, specialized applications reducing micronutrient malnutrition – namely neutron activation analysis through fortification is a political and inductively coupled plasma mass commitment at the national and spectrometry – permit simultaneous international level and creating analysis of a range of minor and trace effective public-private partnerships elements in foods and beverages. 54 IAEA BULLETIN 45/1 Hunger pains Alleviating the entire child bearing age (especially during pregnancy) needs In the early 1990s the problem of “hidden hunger” to be continued indefinitely. A clear “hidden hunger” commanded The basic objective of all national “success story” is the improvement in worldwide attention. Through a series micronutrient programs is to ensure the vitamin A status of preschool-aged of high-level conferences, including that needed micronutrients are children using high dose the 1992 international conference on available and consumed by vulnerable supplementation. nutrition in Rome, it became apparent populations. Programmes directed At least 90 countries routinely that large parts of the developing towards the sustained elimination of provide vitamin A supplements to world were plagued by micronutrient micronutrient deficiencies need to be young children in developing malnutrition which could not be seen broadly based so that interventions countries. Using the National but which had devastating health and become accepted community practices. Immunization Day’s (NID) infra- nutritional consequences. The Hence, program strategies need to go structure, countries have been able to problem not only is an impediment to well beyond conventional health and provide vitamin A supplements in health but also compromises nutrition systems and be based upon efficient and cost effective ways. socioeconomic development, learning empowering people and communities More than 75% of all young children ability and productivity. to be capable of arranging for and in countries where vitamin A The numbers of affected people sustaining an adequate intake of deficiency is known to be common worldwide are staggering. Globally micronutrients, independent of external received high-dose vitamin A some 250 million children are at risk of support. Such strategies must be capsules in 2002, compared to only vitamin A deficiency – a leading cause multi-sectoral and integrate interventions about one-third in 1994. However, of childhood blindness. And, in with social communications, evaluation with the virtual elimination of polio in countries where immunization and surveillance components. many developing countries, NID’s are programs are not widespread and In addressing micronutrient being phased out over time. vitamin A deficiency is common, malnutrition in a country, a Governments and international millions of children die each year from combination of strategies involving institutions are turning to alternative complications of infectious diseases the promotion of breast feeding, supplement delivery channels as a such as measles with 2.8 million dietary modification (e.g., improving means of sustaining these gains. showing frank signs of xerophthalmia; food availability and micronutrient However, in the medium to long term, two billion people suffer from anemia bioavailability, and increasing food the objective should be to increase or iron deficiency which the World consumption), food fortification and daily intake of all micronutrients Health Organization (WHO) cites as the pharmaceutical supplementation needs through food either in natural forms or most widespread nutritional disorder in to be emphasized and implemented. through fortification. the world and 1.5 billion people live in The different complementary approaches Food fortification is not a new areas where iodine deficiency disorders are often implemented in three phases: nutritional intervention. Post World continue to be a threat. Insufficient a) to ensure relief to vulnerable groups War II, fortification with a range of iodine in the diet is the most common – through supplementation, b) to improve nutrients became common in the yet also most preventable – cause of micronutrient intakes across the United States and some parts of brain damage throughout the world. population in the medium-term Europe. Food fortification was a key While the numbers are staggering based through food fortification and c) to factor in eliminating rickets (vitamin on deficiencies of iron, iodine and ensure sustained, long-term outcome D in milk), goitre (iodine in salt) and vitamin A, it has become apparent that a through dietary diversity coupled with pellagra (niacin fortification of cereals range of other micronutrients are also biofortification of staple crops. and other grains) and has also been lacking in the diets of low-income Supplements provide immediate effective in reducing the incidence of households such as zinc and folic acid. relief to vulnerable populations and iron deficiency. Worldwide, Particularly vulnerable within the low- age groups with special micronutrient fortification of salt with iodine has income population are infants, needs, e.g. pregnant and lactating produced major reductions in iodine children, pregnant women and the mothers and pre-school age children. deficiency disorders. However, with elderly given their special nutritional In some cases supplementation for the exception of iodine in salt, food and health needs. women during adolescence through fortification has not yet been used June 2003 55 he major cause of micronutrient deficiencies is of excess phytates and fibres that influence a lack of adequate intake of bioavailable mineral absorption. Tminerals and vitamins from the staple diets. Importantly, such techniques also help to identify This is exacerbated by the fact that commonly those foods or fortificant-based interventions most consumed foods and beverages (such as rice, wheat, likely to succeed in target populations. Stable isotopes corn, legumes, tea and coffee) are high in inhibitors are safe for use in children and pregnant women, and low in enhancers of micronutrient absorption. feasible for field application and assess changes Thus, these staple foods such as cereals and legumes within reasonable time and cost. In the food are not only poor sources of bioavailable micronutrients fortification area the use of isotopic techniques is now but also interfere with the absorption of the well established for enhancing sensitivity of nutrition micronutrients added during the process of intervention trials. fortifying foods. Using the isotopic approach (in vivo and in vitro), Biochemical processes influencing the determinations of bioavailability can be carried out. bioavailability (or the fraction of a nutrient our body’s Laboratory assessment of bioavailability (in vitro) – by metabolism absorbs) are inherently complex. That is simulating the human stomach – measures the why the choice of the compound to be used as a percentage of iron that is potentially available. It is the fortificant is critical. This depends in part on its only rapid tool using radioactive isotopes to compare solubility in the gastric juice, besides its impact on bioavailability from different foods and diets. It can
Recommended publications
  • Haili Gusa Ubly High School Ubly, MI Fiji, Malnutrition Fiji: Malnourished Modernization
    Haili Gusa Ubly High School Ubly, MI Fiji, Malnutrition Fiji: Malnourished Modernization Exotic waterfalls and luscious rainforest may come to mind when the countryof Fiji is mentioned. A popular vacation destination with resorts, tropical beaches, and Fiji's association with high-priced bottled water has created a false public perception of everything being picturesque in Fiji. An incredibly fertile chain of islands with fresh fruit blooming across themappears to be a perfect environment for a well-fed population to prosper, but many Fijians suffer from a man-made disease of kwashiorkor malnutrition. Kwashiorkor is caused due to an imbalance in energy, proteins, and nutrients (Kwashiorkor). Starvation is not the cause of this type of malnutrition; instead modernizationin the Fijian food supply is changing the Fijian’s diets from eating traditional native foods to consumingramen noodles.This has had a negative impact on the country. Diets full of carbohydrates are not supplementing the micronutrients necessary for Fijians to thrive. The Republic of Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is composed of over 300 islands and hundreds of islets which are incredibly small islands that don’t commonly have humans living on them (Empowering Rural Communities in the Pacific). The two dominant islands that contain the majority of the land and people of Fiji are Viti Levu and VanuaLevul. These two islands are composed of a tropical, rainy climate that is suitable for the growth of vegetation and accumulation of fish populations(New Agriculturalist).The current total population of Fiji is 884,887 and is growing (2017 Population and Housing Census).
    [Show full text]
  • Mineral Biofortification of Vegetables As a Tool to Improve Human Diet
    foods Review Mineral Biofortification of Vegetables as a Tool to Improve Human Diet Camila Vanessa Buturi 1, Rosario Paolo Mauro 1,* , Vincenzo Fogliano 2, Cherubino Leonardi 1 and Francesco Giuffrida 1 1 Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5-95123 Catania, Italy; [email protected] (C.V.B.); [email protected] (C.L.); [email protected] (F.G.) 2 Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Vegetables represent pillars of good nutrition since they provide important phytochemicals such as fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, as well as minerals. Biofortification proposes a promising strategy to increase the content of specific compounds. As minerals have important functionalities in the human metabolism, the possibility of enriching fresh consumed products, such as many vegetables, adopting specific agronomic approaches, has been considered. This review discusses the most recent findings on agronomic biofortification of vegetables, aimed at increasing in the edible portions the content of important minerals, such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iodine (I), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and silicon (Si). The focus was on selenium and iodine biofortification thus far, while for the other mineral elements, aspects related to vegetable typology, genotypes, chemical form, and application protocols are far from being well defined. Even if agronomic fortification is considered an easy to apply technique, the approach is complex considering several interactions occurring at crop level, as well as the bioavailability of different minerals for the consumer.
    [Show full text]
  • Guidelines on Food Fortification with Micronutrients
    GUIDELINES ON FOOD FORTIFICATION FORTIFICATION FOOD ON GUIDELINES Interest in micronutrient malnutrition has increased greatly over the last few MICRONUTRIENTS WITH years. One of the main reasons is the realization that micronutrient malnutrition contributes substantially to the global burden of disease. Furthermore, although micronutrient malnutrition is more frequent and severe in the developing world and among disadvantaged populations, it also represents a public health problem in some industrialized countries. Measures to correct micronutrient deficiencies aim at ensuring consumption of a balanced diet that is adequate in every nutrient. Unfortunately, this is far from being achieved everywhere since it requires universal access to adequate food and appropriate dietary habits. Food fortification has the dual advantage of being able to deliver nutrients to large segments of the population without requiring radical changes in food consumption patterns. Drawing on several recent high quality publications and programme experience on the subject, information on food fortification has been critically analysed and then translated into scientifically sound guidelines for application in the field. The main purpose of these guidelines is to assist countries in the design and implementation of appropriate food fortification programmes. They are intended to be a resource for governments and agencies that are currently implementing or considering food fortification, and a source of information for scientists, technologists and the food industry. The guidelines are written from a nutrition and public health perspective, to provide practical guidance on how food fortification should be implemented, monitored and evaluated. They are primarily intended for nutrition-related public health programme managers, but should also be useful to all those working to control micronutrient malnutrition, including the food industry.
    [Show full text]
  • Building Effective Nutrition Policy Demands a Strong Scientific Base
    Building Effective Nutrition Policy Demands a Strong Scientific Base Chunming Chen B.S., Pat Crawford, Dr.PH, R.D., Omar Dary, Ph.D., Adam Drewnowski , Ph.D., Hanifa Namusoke, M.S., Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D, Marilyn Towsend, Ph.D., R.D. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or of the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these are or have been endorsed or recommended by FAO or WHO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by FAO and WHO to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall FAO and WHO be liable for damages arising from its use. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of FAO or WHO.
    [Show full text]
  • Metabolic Engineering of Micronutrients in Crop Plants
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Ghent University Academic Bibliography Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. ISSN 0077-8923 ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Issue: Staple Crops Biofortified with Vitamins and Minerals REVIEW ARTICLE Metabolic engineering of micronutrients in crop plants Dieter Blancquaert,1 Hans De Steur,2 Xavier Gellynck,2 and Dominique Van Der Straeten1 1Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Physiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. 2Division Agri-Food Marketing & Chain Management, Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium Address for correspondence: Dominique Van Der Straeten, Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Physiology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium. [email protected] Micronutrient deficiency is a widespread phenomenon, most prevalent in developing countries. Being causally linked totheoccurrenceofarangeofdiseases,itaffectsbillionsofpeopleworldwide.Enhancingthecontentofmicronutrients in crop products through biotechnology is a promising technique to fight micronutrient malnutrition worldwide. Micronutrient fortification of food products has been implemented in a number of Western countries, but remains inaccessible for poor rural populations in a major part of the developing world. Moreover, evidence of the negative impacts of this practice on human health, at least for some vitamins, is accumulating. Biofortification of crop plants— the enhancement of vitamins and minerals through plant biotechnology—is a promising alternative or complement in the battle against micronutrient deficiencies. Owing to a growing knowledge about vitamin metabolism, as well as mineral uptake and reallocation in plants, it is today possible to enhance micronutrient levels in crop plants, offering a sustainable solution to populations with a suboptimal micronutrient intake.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating Shared Value and Meeting Our Commitments 2017
    Good Food, Good Life Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2017 Full report Nestlé. Enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future 2 A year of positive impact For individuals and families For our communities For the planet January Recognised by CDP as a global leader in tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions across our supply chain. Nestlé was featured in CDP’s first-ever Supplier Engagement Ranking among 29 companies from over 3300 that were assessed. Participated in the launch of the Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH) programme to promote healthy, enjoyable diets using food produced with respect for our planet. March Nestlé Waters, through the NaturALL Bottle Alliance, announced a partnership with Danone and Origin Materials to develop a PET plastic bottle made from 100% sustainable and renewable resources. Launched a series of Leading Together employee conferences to accelerate diversity and inclusion and help us reach our ambition to be a gender-balanced company by 2018. Announced our new 2020 commitments and long-term ambitions, in support of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable May Development Goals (SDGs). Joined 37 companies at the Second Pacific Alliance Youth Summit in Santiago, Chile to launch the Alliance for YOUth in Latin America. Maggi announced a renewal of its global product portfolio with simple, recognisable ingredients, as part of its Simply Good initiative to inspire and offer tastier, healthier choices. July Hosted the Planting the Seeds for the Future of Food conference in Vevey, Switzerland, to explore issues around agriculture, sustainability and nutrition.
    [Show full text]
  • Iodine Biofortification of Vegetables Could Improve Iodine
    agronomy Communication Iodine Biofortification of Vegetables Could Improve Iodine Supplementation Status Eva Duborská 1,*, Martin Urík 1 and Martin Šeda 2 1 Institute of Laboratory Research on Geomaterials, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkoviˇcova6, 84215 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; [email protected] 2 Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia, Studentská 1668, 370 05 Ceskˇ é Budˇejovice,Czech Republic; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected]; Tel.: +421-(02)-602-96-392 Received: 17 September 2020; Accepted: 6 October 2020; Published: 15 October 2020 Abstract: Iodine is an essential trace element for both humans and animals. It is essential to produce important hormones by the thyroid gland. In most inland areas, the soils are iodine deficient and its amount is insufficient to produce agricultural crops with adequate iodine content to cover the recommended daily intake. In connection with the occurrence of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), it has been the subject of intensive research in the past. However, following the introduction of iodized table salt in the food industry, problems related to IDD were not solved and studies on iodine mobility and bioavailability from soils are rare even today and have remained insufficiently investigated. In many countries, mainly in Europe, the prescription rate of medicaments used to treat goiter is still high. Thus, there are a considerable amount of studies looking for alternative methods for iodine supplementation in foodstuffs among the use of iodized table salt. In most cases, the subject of these studies are agricultural crops.
    [Show full text]
  • Interventions for Addressing Vitamin and Mineral Inadequacies
    MULTI-SECTORAL NUTRITION STRATEGY Interventions for 2014–2025 Addressing Vitamin and Technical Guidance Brief Mineral Inadequacies INTRODUCTION This brief provides an overview of effective ways to Box 1. Global Burden of Disease deliver essential vitamins and minerals, collectively called micronutrients, to populations. The descriptions • Vitamin A deficiency, resulting in of advantages and limitations of different clinical symptoms, affects micronutrient approaches can help program managers approximately 10 million pregnant select the appropriate micronutrient program to women and 5 million children. prevent and correct insufficient micronutrient intakes • Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia for a target population based on the country context. ranges from 11 percent to 16 percent Insufficient micronutrient intake, often referred to as for preschool children and 10 percent micronutrient inadequacy, results from the lack of to 15 percent for pregnant women. consumption of foods that supply those • Zinc deficiency affects approximately micronutrients. Micronutrient inadequacy is one of the 17 percent of the world’s population. causes of micronutrient deficiency; other causes of this • Iodine deficiency disorders are kept deficiency are micronutrient losses due to diseases and under control in most countries of the infections, parasitism, and even genetic abnormalities. world through the addition of iodine Micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread and to salt and salt-containing products* disproportionately affect vulnerable sub-groups within (Black, 2014). populations (see Box I). * Without these interventions, billions of The food fortification and supplementation people worldwide would have inadequate approaches described in this brief can correct for intake of iodine. inadequacies and can help reduce the consequences of micronutrient deficiencies. Other approaches, such as infection prevention and treatment, also reduce micronutrient deficiencies, but these approaches will not be covered in this brief.
    [Show full text]
  • Biofortification As a Vitamin a Deficiency Intervention in Kenya By: Angela Mwaniki
    Biofortification as a Vitamin A Deficiency Intervention in Kenya By: Angela Mwaniki CASE STUDY #3-7 OF THE PROGRAM: "FOOD POLICY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM" 2007 Edited by: Per Pinstrup-Andersen (globalfoodsystem@cornell■edu,) and Fuzhi Cheng Cornell University In collaboration with: Soren E. Frandsen, FOI, University of Copenhagen Arie Kuyvenhoven, Wageningen University Joachim von Braun, International Food Policy Research Institute Executive Summary Vitamin A deficiency is a serious global nutritional • designing a feasible distribution system problem that particularly affects preschool-age that ensures that OFSPs are economically children. Current efforts to combat micronutrient and physically accessible to all households; malnutrition in the developing world focus on and providing vitamin and mineral supplements for • promoting consumer acceptance by creat­ pregnant women and young children and on forti­ ing awareness of its benefits and develop­ fying foods through postharvest processing. In ing innovative products. regions with a high prevalence of poverty, inade­ quate infrastructure, and poorly developed markets Your assignment is to recommend a set of policies for food processing and delivery, however, these to the government of Kenya that would facilitate methods have had negligible impact, and biofortifi­ greater production and consumption of biofortified cation has been proposed as a more effective inter­ sweet potatoes, taking into account the interests of vention. various stakeholder groups. State the assumptions Inadequate dietary intake is the main cause of made in your argument. micronutrient malnutrition in Kenya. It is directly correlated with poverty. Micronutrient malnutri­ Background tion is directly linked to 23,500 child deaths in Kenya annually.
    [Show full text]
  • HLPE Report # 12
    HLPE REPORT 12 Nutrition and food systems A report by The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition September 2017 HLPE High Level Panel of Experts HLPE Reports series #1 Price volatility and food security (2011) #2 Land tenure and international investments in agriculture (2011) #3 Food security and climate change (2012) #4 Social protection for food security (2012) #5 Biofuels and food security (2013) #6 Investing in smallholder agriculture for food security (2013) #7 Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition (2014) #8 Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems (2014) #9 Water for food security and nutrition (2015) #10 Sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition: what roles for livestock? (2016) #11 Sustainable forestry for food security and nutrition (2017) #12 Nutrition and food systems (2017) All HLPE reports are available at www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe 2 HLPE Steering Committee members (September 2017) Patrick Caron (Chair) Carol Kalafatic (Vice-Chair) Amadou Allahoury Louise Fresco Eileen Kennedy Muhammad Azeem Khan Bernardo Kliksberg Fangquan Mei Sophia Murphy Mohammad Saeid Noori Naeini Michel Pimbert Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco Magdalena Sepúlveda Martin Yemefack Rami Zurayk HLPE Project Team members Jessica Fanzo (Team Leader) Mandana Arabi Barbara Burlingame Lawrence Haddad Simon Kimenju Gregory Miller Fengying Nie Elisabetta Recine Lluís Serra-Majem Dipa Sinha Coordinator of the HLPE Nathanaël Pingault This report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) has been approved by the HLPE Steering Committee. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Committee on World Food Security, of its members, participants, or of the Secretariat.
    [Show full text]
  • Zinc Biofortification in Food Crops Could Alleviate the Zinc
    molecules Review Zinc Biofortification in Food Crops Could Alleviate the Zinc Malnutrition in Human Health Subhashisa Praharaj 1, Milan Skalicky 2,* , Sagar Maitra 1 , Preetha Bhadra 3, Tanmoy Shankar 1 , Marian Brestic 2,4 , Vaclav Hejnak 2 , Pavla Vachova 2 and Akbar Hossain 5,* 1 Department of Agronomy, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Pralakhemundi 761211, India; [email protected] (S.P.); [email protected] (S.M.); [email protected] (T.S.) 2 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic; [email protected] (M.B.); [email protected] (V.H.); [email protected] (P.V.) 3 Department of Biotechnology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Pralakhemundi 761211, India; [email protected] 4 Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia 5 Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh * Correspondence: [email protected] (M.S.); [email protected] (A.H.) Abstract: Micronutrient malnutrition is a global health issue and needs immediate attention. Over two billion people across the globe suffer from micronutrient malnutrition. The widespread zinc (Zn) deficiency in soils, poor zinc intake by humans in their diet, low bioavailability, and health consequences has led the research community to think of an economic as well as sustainable strategy for the alleviation of zinc deficiency. Strategies like fortification and diet supplements, though Citation: Praharaj, S.; Skalicky, M.; effective, are not economical and most people in low-income countries cannot afford them, and they Maitra, S.; Bhadra, P.; Shankar, T.; are the most vulnerable to Zn deficiency.
    [Show full text]
  • Biofortified Crops for Combating Hidden Hunger in South Africa
    foods Review Biofortified Crops for Combating Hidden Hunger in South Africa: Availability, Acceptability, Micronutrient Retention and Bioavailability Muthulisi Siwela 1, Kirthee Pillay 1, Laurencia Govender 1 , Shenelle Lottering 2, Fhatuwani N. Mudau 3, Albert T. Modi 2 and Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi 2,* 1 Dietetics and Human Nutrition, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa; [email protected] (M.S.); [email protected] (K.P.); [email protected] (L.G.) 2 Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa; [email protected] (S.L.); [email protected] (A.T.M.) 3 School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +27-33-260-5442 Received: 5 May 2020; Accepted: 11 June 2020; Published: 21 June 2020 Abstract: In many poorer parts of the world, biofortification is a strategy that increases the concentration of target nutrients in staple food crops, mainly by genetic manipulation, to alleviate prevalent nutrient deficiencies. We reviewed the (i) prevalence of vitamin A, iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies; (ii) availability of vitamin A, iron and Zn biofortified crops, and their acceptability in South Africa. The incidence of vitamin A and iron deficiency among children below five years old is 43.6% and 11%, respectively, while the risk of Zn deficiency is 45.3% among children aged 1 to 9 years.
    [Show full text]