The Influence from Packaging Design Elements of Child Food on Quality Perceptions of Beninese’s Consumers

Child malnutrition is a major problem in Benin, where 31% of children under five are stunted and 5% are wasted. The artisanal production of affordable, tasty and nutritious baby foods by local women entrepreneurs could help alleviate the problem. However, appropriate, professional and attractive packaging is needed to minimize spoilage and access markets in urban and peri-urban areas. The aim of our study was to identify the elements that could potentially communicate positive quality attributes on the packaging of infant formula for mothers. To this end, a photovoice study was conducted in the Parakou community in northern Benin with 15 mothers of children under the age of five. The photovoice methodology describes the experiences and perceptions of participants through photographs. The results showed that thirteen photos of different elements such as nature (fruits, trees, gardens), people (babies) and utensils had a positive value for the mothers. It remains to be verified whether the representation of these elements or their derivatives on the packaging of children's foods would create interest and confidence in the acceptance of these foods by mothers. This could become a competitive advantage for local producers of infant foods in the face of competition from imported products

Quality Attributes in Child Food Packaging Design: Photovoice Study with Beninese Mothers

Child malnutrition is a significant predicament in Benin, with 32% of children under the age of five being stunted and 5% wasted. The artisanal production of affordable, tasty, and nutritious baby food by local womenentrepreneurs has the potential to mitigate this issue. Nevertheless, appropriate, professional and attractive packaging is necessary to reduce spoilage and gain access to markets in both urban and peri-urban areas. The aim of our investigation was to identify items that could potentially convey affirmative quality characteristics on the packaging of infant formula for mothers. To achieve this, we conducted a photovoice study in the Parakou community, situated in northern Benin, with 15 mothers of children below the age of five. The photovoice methodology delineates the experiences and perceptions of the participants through photographs. The findings indicated that thirteen photographs of various elements, including nature (fruits, trees, gardens), people (babies), and utensils, had a positive value for the mothers. However, it still needs to be determined whether thedepiction of these elements or their derivatives on the packaging of children's food would generate interest and instill confidence in mothers to accept artisanal child food products. This could become a competitive advantage for local producers of infant foods in the face of competition from imported products

Research trends on the contribution of traditional food products to child nutrition in Africa’s drylands

Studies have described the diversity of traditional food resources and products (TFPs) in Africa. However, there is no study that maps the current scientific knowledge on the subject and establishes the most promising trends for their valorization in child nutrition. This review fills this gap and guides interventions to combat child malnutrition in Africa focused on local TFPs. A total of 596 scientific publications were exported from Scopus database, followed by bibliometric analysis using the biblioshiny web interface in R version 4.1.3. and by an interpretative analysis of clusters. The study revealed that the publications in our collection cover the period of 1971 to 2022 and were published in 269 journals and involved 2375 authors. Eight research clusters emerged from the mapping as trends. The most significant clusters highlighted that improving dietary diversity, providing sources of vitamin A, used as nutritious ingredients in the development of food products and incorporated into school feeding programs, are ways in which TFPs contribute to child nutrition. Knowledge gaps were identified and can be addressed through future research to fully leverage the opportunities offered by the diversity of traditional food products in Africa drylands to effectively combat child malnutrition. Keywords: Traditional food products, Child malnutrition, Nutritional contribution, Research trends, Africa dryland

Characterization and challenges of food environments of children-under-five in north Benin drylands

Food environments play a crucial role in children's diets by influencing households' supply and access to nutritious foods. By gaining insight into the food environments, there is a potential to design better interventions to reduce the burden of children's malnutrition. However, in the African drylands, data on food environments are limited. This study aims to characterize the current food environments of children-under-five in north Benin drylands. To achieve this, we conducted individual interviews with key informants (n=11) to identify relevant actors and villages for data collection. Focus group discussions (n=12) were then conducted to capture information on the existing foods. Furthermore, we examined markets, shops, and domestic stalls (n=17) to obtain information on the prices of food sold, their properties, and promotional activities related to their sale. Descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analysis were performed to describe the dimensions and clusters of the food environments, as well as the types of food environments present and the challenges associated with accessing nutritious foods.The study identified a total of 94 foods, which were categorized into four clusters. Clusters 1 and 2 relate to seasonal foods, foods obtained from agriculture, livestock, or forests, and foods available year-round in local markets. In contrast, Clusters 3 and 4 relate to packaged and imported foods that are available year-round in shops and pharmacies. These findings indicate that the food environment in the study area is in transition, featuring both natural and informal market types. The challenges related to accessing nutritious foods include the affordability of processed nutritious foods from the informal market type, as well as the continuous supply of nutritious food from the natural food environment type. Addressing these challenges will require the development of food policies and new interventions and study aimed at improving the external dimensions of the food environment

Évaluation de la qualité microbiologique et chimique du Toubani, un mets traditionnel africain à base de niébé

Toubani is a traditional product made from cowpea widely consumed in West Africa region. In Benin, it is highly esteemed by the local population. The aim of our study was to assess the microbiological and chemical quality of the different variants of Toubani produced in Benin. To achieve this, two levels of sampling were conducted by collecting samples from producers/sellers and consumers. The results showed that, from a microbiological perspective, samples of Toubani collected from the producers exhibited satisfactory quality. Similarly, samples taken from consumers' plates showed acceptable quality regarding all enumerated microorganisms. From a chemical perspective, we identified the presence of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, with variable concentrations depending on the different Toubani variants, ranging between 0.07 and 0.12 mg/Kg for cadmium and between 0.08 and 0.30 mg/Kg for lead. In the light of these results, it is imperative to enhance hygiene conditions during Toubani production and sale through effective awareness campaigns involving all stakeholders. This is aimed at reducing microbiological and chemical contamination levels for the benefit of consumer health. Keywords: Quality, chemical contamination, Toubani, cowpea, food safetyLe Toubani est un produit traditionnel à base de niébé à grande consommation en région ouest africaine. Au Bénin, il est hautement apprécié par la population locale. L’objectif de notre étude était d’évaluer la qualité microbiologique et chimique des différentes variantes de Toubani produit au Bénin. Pour ce faire, deux niveaux d’échantillonnage ont été effectués, en collectant des échantillons auprès des productrices-vendeuses et consommateurs. Les résultats ont montré que du point de vue microbiologique, les échantillons de Toubani prélevés chez les productrices présentaient une qualité satisfaisante. De même, les échantillons prélevés dans les assiettes des consommateurs révélaient une qualité acceptable. Du point de vue chimique, nous avons identifié la présence de métaux lourds tels que le plomb et le cadmium, à des concentrations variables en fonction des différentes variantes de Toubani se situant entre 0,07 et 0,12 mg/Kg pour le cadmium et entre 0,08 et 0,30 mg/Kg pour le plomb. A la lumière de ces résultats, il est impératif d’améliorer les conditions d’hygiène lors de la production-vente du Toubani à travers une bonne sensibilisation des acteurs, dans le but de réduire les niveaux de contamination microbiologique et chimique au profit de la santé des consommateurs. Mots clés: Qualité, contamination chimique, Toubani, niébé, sécurité alimentair