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Amazing Biofortification: How to Make Crops Become Nutritional Superheroes?
Biofortification is an innovative approach that aims to improve crops by improving their nutritional value. Unlike general food fortification, biofortification focuses on increasing the nutrients within the plant as it grows, rather than adding additional nutrients during processing. This approach is particularly relevant for the rural poor in low- and middle-income countries, who often do not have access to commercially fortified foods.
The World Health Organization estimates that biofortification has the potential to help treat anemia caused by iron deficiency in 2 billion people worldwide.
Methodology
Plants can be improved through selective breeding. In this process, breeders look for variants of highly nutritious crops that are already available in seeds or gene banks, and then cross these highly nutritious variants with high-yielding crops to create crops that are both nutritious and high-yielding. seed. In order to achieve nutrient levels in crops that can have a measurable positive impact on human health, the process must work with nutritionists to study whether the additional nutrients in the modified crops are absorbed by consumers and what effects storage, processing and cooking have on the crops. Effects of available nutrient levels.
For example, bread wheat with higher iron and zinc content was developed through radiation breeding.
HarvestPlus is an important non-governmental organization in the field of biofortified crop development, mainly using traditional breeding techniques, and so far its research budget on genetically modified crops has not exceeded 15%. Golden rice is a genetically modified crop developed for its nutritional value. The latest version of golden rice contains genes from common soil bacteria and corn, and adds beta-carotene that can be converted into vitamin A.
Application
Low- and middle-income countries
In low- and middle-income countries, deficiencies in various micronutrients, including vitamin A, zinc and iron, have become serious health problems for large numbers of people. The consequences of these deficiency symptoms include not only impaired vision, but also a weakened immune system, restricted physical growth, and impaired cognitive development.
For example, in a trial in Mozambique, eating beta-carotene-rich sweet potatoes reduced cases of vitamin A deficiency in children by 24 percent.
Research suggests that biofortified crops may have advantages in improving nutrition compared to methods that provide processed fortified foods or supplements. Although these other approaches have had some success among the urban poor, implementation in rural areas is often limited by a lack of markets and health systems. Biofortification has essentially zero administrative costs following large initial research investments, making it more feasible than supplements that require continued political support.
High-income countries
In the UK, researchers at the University of Warwick are looking for ways to increase the selenium content of local cereals and are working on developing cereals that could be used to make selenium-containing bread.
Challenges and Concerns
Although most people are not averse to biofortification itself, there are always doubts about genetically modified foods, such as golden rice. Of course, the appearance characteristics of some biofortified foods may make them unacceptable to consumers. For example, foods rich in vitamin A are often darker in color, and in some regions this color may be associated with animal feed or aid foods. In addition, the addition of some micronutrients may not have a significant impact on the taste or appearance of food, but consumers may still be sensitive to unauthorized changes to food.
Critics point out that biofortification may lead to a further simplification of human diets, making people's diets dependent on a few carbohydrate staples, which may be the cause of malnutrition.
While biofortification advocates accept this view, they also say that significantly increasing dietary diversity will require decades and significant financial support. Therefore, biofortification needs further discussion and development as an effective strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiencies.
So, can biofortification really be the key to solving the global malnutrition problem?
