Archileo N. Kaaya

The importance of using food and nutrient intake data to identify appropriate vehicles and estimate potential benefits of food fortification in Uganda.

Background Concern over micronutrient inadequacies in Uganda has prompted the introduction of mass fortification. Objective To use food intake to determine nutrient inadequacies in children aged 24 to 59 months and nonpregnant women of reproductive age, and to model the adequacy of mass fortification. Methods Data were collected by the 24-hour recall method in three regions. Usual nutrient intakes were calculated by adjusting actual intake distribution for the intraindividual variance. The impact of fortification on intake adequacy was simulated. Results The nutrients with the highest prevalence of inadequate intake across regions were vitamin A (30% to 99%), vitamin B12 (32% to 100%), iron (55% to 89%), zinc (18% to 82%), and calcium (84% to 100%). According to simulations, fortification of vegetable oil and sugar with vitamin A would reduce the prevalence of vitamin A inadequacy in the Western and Northern regions; in Kampala it would eliminate vitamin A inadequacy but would cause 2% to 48% of children to exceed the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL). The proposed fortification of wheat flour would reduce the prevalence of inadequate intakes of thiamine, riboflavin, folate, and niacin in Kampala, but would have little impact in the other two regions due to low flour consumption. Conclusions Micronutrient fortification of vegetable oil and sugar in all regions and of wheat flour in Kampala would reduce the prevalence of micronutrient inadequacies. However, the wheat flour formulation should be modified to better meet requirements, and the vitamin A content in sugar should be reduced to minimize the risk of high intakes. Maize flour may be suitable for targeted fortification, but prior consolidation of the industry would be required for maize flour to become a good vehicle for mass fortification.

Shift in performance of food safety management systems in supply chains: case of green bean chain in Kenya versus hot pepper chain in Uganda.

BACKGROUND This study investigates the level of design and operation of food safety management systems (FSMS) of farmers and export traders in Kenya and Uganda. FSMS diagnostic tools developed for the fresh produce chain were used to assess the levels of context riskiness, FSMS activities and system output in primary production (n = 60) and trade (n = 60). High-risk context characteristics combined with basic FSMS are expected to increase the risk on unsafe produce. RESULTS In Uganda both farmers and export traders of hot peppers operate in a high- to moderate-risk context but have basic FSMS and low systems output. In Kenya, both farmers and export traders of green beans operate in a low- to moderate-risk context. The farmers have average performing FSMS, whereas export trade companies showed more advanced FSMS and system output scores ranging from satisfactory to good. CONCLUSION Large retailers supplying the EU premium market play a crucial role in demanding compliance with strict voluntary food safety standards, which was reflected in the more advanced FSMS and good system output in Kenya, especially traders. In Kenya, a clear shift in more fit-for-purpose FSMS and higher system output was noticed between farms and trade companies. In the case of Uganda, traders commonly supply to the less demanding EU wholesale markets such as ethnic specialty shops. They only have to comply with the legal phytosanitary and pesticide residue requirements for export activities, which apparently resulted in basic FSMS and low system output present with both farmers and traders.

Nutrients and bioactive compounds content of Baillonella toxisperma, Trichoscypha abut and Pentaclethra macrophylla from Cameroon.

Baillonella toxisperma, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Trichoscypha abut are important foods for communities living around forests in Cameroon. Information on the nutritional value and bioactive content of these foods is required to establish their contribution to the nutrition and health of the communities. Samples of the three foods were obtained from four villages in east and three villages in south Cameroon. The foods were analyzed for proximate composition, minerals and bioactive content using standard chemical analysis methods. T. abut was found to be an excellent source of bioactive compounds; flavonoids (306 mg/100 g), polyphenols (947 mg/100 g), proanthocyanins (61.2 mg/100 g), vitamin C (80.05 mg/100 g), and total oxalates (0.6 mg/100 g). P. macrophylla was found to be a rich source of total fat (38.71%), protein (15.82%) and total fiber (17.10%) and some bioactive compounds; vitamin E (19.4 mg/100 g) and proanthocyanins (65.0 mg/100 g). B. toxisperma, was found to have high content of carbohydrates (89.6%), potassium (27.5 mg/100 g) and calcium (37.5 mg/100 g). Flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins C and E are the main bioactive compounds in these forest foods. The daily consumption of some of these fruits may coffer protection against some ailments and oxidative stress. Approximately 200 g of either B. toxisperma or P. macrophylla, can supply 100% iron and zinc RDAs for children aged 1–3 years, while 300 g of the two forest foods can supply about 85% iron and zinc RDAs for non-pregnant non-lactating women. The three foods provide 100% daily vitamins C and E requirements for both adults and children. The results of this study show that Baillonella toxisperma, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Trichoscypha abut can considerably contribute towards the human nutrient requirements. These forest foods also contain substantial levels of health promoting phytochemicals notably flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins C and E. These foods therefore have potential to promote nutrition and health, especially among forest dependent communities who consume them in substantial amounts.

Predictors of Stunting in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months: A Case–Control Study in Southwest Uganda:

Background: Stunting affects close to 2.4 million children in Uganda, and it is among the major contributors to the annual loss in productivity of the equivalent of US

Contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and their association with household food insecurity: a cross-sectional study in women from rural Cameroon.

899 million. Objective: This study sought to identify the key underlying causes of the persistently high stunting rates in a region of Uganda known to have low poverty rates and a high agricultural output. Methods: A matched case–control study was conducted in Buhweju district, southwest Uganda to compare prior exposures between stunted children (cases) and nonstunted children (controls). Results: The sample comprised 56 cases and 112 controls, totaling 168 children aged 6 to 59 months. There were almost equal numbers of boys and girls in the sample. Boys were significantly more likely to be stunted compared to girls (odds ratio [OR]: 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.2; P < .05). Stunted children were significantly less likely to be introduced to complementary foods at an appropriate age and their primary caregivers lacked knowledge about stunting. The odds of stunting were 2.4 times greater for children in food-insecure households compared to those in food-secure households (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1-5.0; P < .05) and 4.5 times greater among children who resided in poor quality houses (OR: 4.5, 95% CI: 1.4-13.0; P < .05). Conclusion: Low access to appropriate complementary diets, sex of child, food insecurity, poor socioeconomic status, and low knowledge about stunting were the main predictors of childhood stunting in the study population.

The effect of storage time and agroecological zone on mould incidence and aflatoxin contamination of maize from traders in Uganda.

OBJECTIVE To determine the contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and estimate their association with household food insecurity. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey conducted among 279 households. Using a 7 d recall questionnaire, information on household food consumption was collected from women and used to determine the household dietary diversity score, food variety score and forest food consumption score (FFCS). Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) score was determined and Spearman rank correlation was used to establish the relationship between consumption of forest foods and HFIAS score. Womens dietary intake was estimated from two 24 h recalls. The contribution of forest foods to womens nutrient intakes was calculated and womens nutrient intakes were compared with estimated average nutrient requirements. SETTING Rural forest-dependent households in twelve villages in eastern and southern Cameroon. SUBJECTS Household heads and their non-pregnant, non-lactating spouses. RESULTS Forty-seven unique forest foods were identified; of these, seventeen were consumed by 98 % of respondents over the course of one week and by 17 % of women during the two 24 h recall periods. Although forest foods contributed approximately half of womens total daily energy intake, considerably greater contributions were made to vitamin A (93 %), Na (100 %), Fe (85 %), Zn (88 %) and Ca (89 %) intakes. Despite a highly biodiverse pool of foods, most households (83 %) suffered from high food insecurity based on the HFIAS. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the HFIAS score and the FFCS (r 2=-0·169, P=0·0006), demonstrating that forest foods play an important role in ensuring food security in these forest-dependent communities. CONCLUSIONS Forest foods are widely consumed by forest-dependent communities. Given their rich nutrient content, they have potential to contribute to food and nutrition security.