Development and Sustainability of National Food Composition Databases for use in Dietary Monitoring and Public Health Nutrition in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Background:Similar to Western Countries, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) also presents major public health issues associated with the increased consumption of sugar, fat (saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids), salt. Therefore, one of the policies of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) EMRO is to reduce the intake of these, to address the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. In order to do this, access to updated, standardized, harmonized food composition data (FCD) is essential. Aims: Objectives within this Medical Research Council GCRF project, working jointly with WHO–EMRO, are to assess the status of national FCD and to provide training and capacity development in the use of improved standardized methodologies to update FCD as well as dietary intake methods, use of suitable biomarkers of nutritional value and to determine health outcomes in the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) of this region. By identifying specific regional needs for FCD compilation, detailed training workshops can be developed to enable the production of vital high-quality harmonised data in the EMR including: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan together with Mauritania. This capacity building will lead to the development and sustainability of up-to-date national and regional FCD for use in dietary monitoring assessment in food and nutrient intakes. Methods: Training needs were identified, and short-term scientific missions organized for researchers via training, knowledge exchange workshops and short-term exchange of researchers. Training at CAPNUTRA (Serbia) and INNTA (Tunisia) included the use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and food intake for 7 EMR countries leading to development of national FCD, enabling upload onto the EuroFIR data platform. A 3-week training course on analytical methods was carried out at INSA (Portugal) for analysts from Egypt, Jordan and Sudan. Key findings: A total of 45 participants from 13 countries including 10 EMR and 3 invited West African countries attended 5 workshops and training exchanges. Training topics included: value documentation and quality assessment; food composition data tools (Food Composition And System Environment (FoodCASE), Diet assess and Plan (DAP), Nutritics; food classification and description of composite dishes, recipe calculation approaches; use of yield and retention factors; EuroFIR e-learning tools and case studies; laboratory food analysis (vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D2, D3 and E, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, fibre); quality management system; food metrology principles; validation of chromatographic methods; and food label legislation. 6 countries have imported their FCD, as open access, into the EuroFIR FoodEXplorer platform. The WHO-EMRO jointly with MRC GCRF project funded and mobilized research institutions in over 10 countries, with more focus on identifying traditional dishes and micronutrients. Conclusions and project Implications: The use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake will produce robust measurements that will reinforce dietary monitoring and policy in LMIC. The capacity building from this project has led to searchable national food composition data from developing/emerging countries being made available in an open access form for the first time. WHO-EMRO, is funding further updates of FCD tables in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran Egypt, and UAE, with the focus on identifying TFA, SFA, salt and sugar in addition to micronutrients.Project supported by Global Challenges Research Funds (UK) and Medical Research Council (MR/R019576/1), is grateful to WHO EMRO.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development and Sustainability of Eastern Mediterranean Region and South African National Food Composition Databases

Introduction: The World Health Organization’s (WHO)-Eastern Mediterranean Region Office (EMRO) aims to reduce the consumption of sugar, fat (saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids) and salt; and decrease the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). To address this Quadram Institute Bioscience is working jointly with WHO-EMRO in providing training and capacity development to national experts, leading to standardized, harmonized, comprehensive, open access Food Composition Data (FCD) to underpin food and nutrition programs and policies in these low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Materials and Methods: By identifying specific regional needs for FCD compilation, detailed training workshops were developed to enable the production of vital high-quality harmonised data in the EMR including: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, and Jordan. Training on standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake methods, biomarkers, analytical methods and FCD tools were provided by experts from UK, Serbia, Portugal and WHO-EMRO, via knowledge exchange workshops and short-term training exchange of researchers. Results: A total of 45 FCD expert compilers from 13 countries attended 2 workshops and 3 training exchanges. Knowledge transfer consisted of: value documentation; quality assessment; online food composition data tools; food classification and description of composite dishes; recipe calculation; yield and retention factors; and laboratory food analysis (vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D2, D3 and E, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, fibre). FCD from 6 countries was standardized using the EuroFIR data template and Theasuri (standardised vocabularies). The final datasets from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia and Morocco were made available via FoodExplorer an innovative interface for FCD which allows users to search information from food composition data simultaneously across many countries. Discussion: The use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake will produce robust measurements that will reinforce dietary monitoring and policy in LMIC. The capacity building from this project has led to searchable national food composition data from LMIC being made available as open access form for the first time. WHO-EMRO, is funding further updates of FCD tables in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and UAE, with the focus on identifying TFA, SFA, salt and sugar in addition to micronutrients.Project supported by Global Challenges Research Funds (UK) and Medical Research Council (MR/R019576/1), is grateful to WHO EMRO.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Infant feeding and anthropometric failure in infants (0–2 years) in Nsukka District of Enugu State, Nigeria

Background: Prevalence of anthropometric failure among Nigerian infants is still high. Inappropriate infant feeding practices may be one of the major contributory factors.Objective: The study assessed the anthropometric indices of infants (0 – 2 years) and infant feeding practices of mothers inNsukka district; and determined the relationship between these two variables.Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study involved 240 mother-infant pairs who were randomly selected from three health facilities in Nsukka district. Data were collected through validated questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. Pearson correlation and Chi square tests were used to determine relationship between variables. Significance was accepted at P<0.05.Results: Breastfeeding was initiated 24 hours after birth in 43.2%. Only 40.3% were breastfed on demand. Almost half (45.3%) of the mothers took palm wine to increase breast milk flow. About 39% introduced complementary foods within the first 3 months of life. Wasting, stunting, under weight and overweight affected 10.2, 21.6, 11.9 and 9.3%, respectively. More males than females were affected by wasting and stunting. Underweight affected more females than males. Duration of exclusive breastfeeding (P<0.01), when infants were mostly breastfed (P<0.01), foods consumed by mothers to increase breast milk flow (P<0.05), age of introducing complementary foods (P<0.001) and person that prepares infant's foods (P<0.05) were significantly associated with anthropometric failure.Conclusion: Infant feeding practices were inappropriate and contributed significantly to the prevalence of anthropometric failure among the children. There is an urgent need to improve mothers' infant feeding practices through effective nutrition education.Keywords: Feeding practices, stunning, wasting, underweight, infant

An assessment of oil processing methods and technology in Taraba State, Nigeria

Objective: The study assessed the various methods and technology of vegetable oil processing in Taraba State.Methods: A total of 250 questionnaires were administered to vegetable oil processors with indepth interview of 28 respondents who were randomly selected based on a preliminary study in six (6) Local Government Areas in the State. Information obtained from the questionnaire were bio-data, oil bearing seeds materials, processing methods and technology, scale of operation, packaging and maintenance of the machine. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: The study shows that oil processing was carried out in all the LGAs. About 73.92% of the processors were within the age range of 18 to 50 years,with females making up 46.58%. Majority of the respondents (82.7%) were micro oil processors while only 14.7% were small scale oil processors. Most (67.8%) of the microprocessor had no processing equipment of their own, but depended on custom millers for some unit operations. Jalingo LGA had the highest number of processors using 2- 3tonne/day imported screw presses which constitutes (2.9%) of the total processors in the State. The oil-bearing materials used in Taraba were groundnut (66.5%), palm fruits/palm kernel (27.8%). Oil was generally packaged in polyethylene (plastics) containers. Most processors were not knowledgeable about oil quality parameters and did not have any equipment for measuring oil quality.Conclusion: Awareness creation and training are needed to improve production in the area of utilization of other oil bearing materials like sesame seeds, and soybeans, and roselle seeds.Keywords: Technology assessment, Oil bearing materials and processing method

Variations in nutrients composition of most commonly consumed yam (Discorea spp) mixed dish in south-east Nigeria

Background: Yam is one of the most priced and cherished root crops in South-east Nigeria being consumed on a daily basis by a good percentage of the population.Objective: In this study, variations in nutrient composition of the most commonly consumed mixed yam dish in South-east Nigeria were determined. Methods: Four communities were randomly selected from each of the five states in the South-east of Nigeria. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in each of the communities to determine commonly consumed yam dish and variations in recipes. A 24-hour dietary recall was also conducted using 50 randomly selected households in the selected communities. Recipes of four variations of the yam dish (variation one, variation two, variation three and variation four) collected during the FGD were standardized, prepared and chemically analysed using standard methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Commonly consumed yam dishes included yam and beans, yam and vegetable, oto (grated yam balls pottage), ji miri oku (yam boiled and served in spiced watery sauce) and yam pottage. Yam pottage was the most commonly consumed yam dish in South-east Nigeria. Four variations of yam pottage were documented with coefficient of variation that ranged from 10.5 to 55.6%. Sources of variation were mainly due to moisture content and number of animal protein sources used. Yam pottage prepared with crayfish and vegetable (variation 2) had the highest moisture content (80.6%) and the least energy and other proximate composition while variation 4 that was prepared with vegetable, crayfish and dry fish had the highest energy and nutrient content except for carbohydrate that was highest in variation 3 [yam pottage prepared with crayfish and without vegetable]. Yam pottage had appreciable (74- 139Kcal) energy and carbohydrate (15.3-29%) values depending on the variation but were particularly low in protein (1.8- 3.5), dietary fibre (0.27-1.04g), iron (0.35-0.76mg), zinc (0.04-0.08 mg) and vitamin A (1.36-8.31mg). Conclusion: In South-east Nigeria, yam pottage was prepared with varied quantity, number and type of ingredients which reflected in the nutrient composition of the four documented variations of the dish. The fourth variation with the highest number of ingredients was the most nutrients dense. Key words: Nutrient composition, yam pottage, variations, Nigeria