Aflatoxin free complementary food to improve the growth of the children

United States Agency for International Developmen

Improving nutritional outcome of children in Tanzania and Malawi

United States Agency for International Developmen

Reducing child undernutrition through dietary diversification, reduced aflatoxin exposure, and improved hygiene practices: the immediate impacts in central Tanzania

Open Access Article; Published online: 28 Nov 2019The study aimed to quantify the immediate effects of dietary diversification, food safety, and hygiene interventions on child undernutrition in four rural villages in Kongwa district of central Tanzania. One hundred mothers with their children of less than 24 months old were recruited for this study. The difference-in-difference (DID) method was used to assess the effects of intensive intervention through a learning-by-doing process on the topic of aflatoxin free diversified food utilization and improved hygiene practices. Periodic anthropometric measurements were conducted on the 0th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days, and DID estimator showed the significant and positive average marginal effects of the intervention on Z-Scores being 0.459, 0.252, and 0.493 for wasting, stunting, and underweight, respectively. Notably, at the end of the study, the mean aflatoxin M1 level in urine samples decreased by 64% in the intervention group, while it decreased by 11% in the control group. The study provides quantitative evidence on intensive 21-day training for mothers incorporating integrated technologies yielded positive impacts on their children’s nutritional outcomes

Reducing Child Undernutrition through Dietary Diversification, Reduced Aflatoxin Exposure, and Improved Hygiene Practices: The Immediate Impacts in Central Tanzania

The study aimed to quantify the immediate effects of dietary diversification, food safety, and hygiene interventions on child undernutrition in four rural villages in Kongwa district of central Tanzania. One hundred mothers with their children of less than 24 months old were recruited for this study. The difference-in-difference (DID) method was used to assess the effects of intensive intervention through a learning-by-doing process on the topic of aflatoxin free diversified food utilization and improved hygiene practices. Periodic anthropometric measurements were conducted on the 0th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days, and DID estimator showed the significant and positive average marginal effects of the intervention on Z-Scores being 0.459, 0.252, and 0.493 for wasting, stunting, and underweight, respectively. Notably, at the end of the study, the mean aflatoxin M1 level in urine samples decreased by 64% in the intervention group, while it decreased by 11% in the control group. The study provides quantitative evidence on intensive 21-day training for mothers incorporating integrated technologies yielded positive impacts on their children’s nutritional outcomes

Occurrence of aflatoxins and its management in diverse cropping systems of central Tanzania

The staple crops, maize, sorghum, bambara nut, groundnut, and sunflower common in semi-arid agro-pastoral farming systems of central Tanzania are prone to aflatoxin contamination. Consumption of such crop produce, contaminated with high levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), affects growth and health. In this paper, aflatoxin contamination in freshly harvested and stored crop produce from central Tanzania was examined, including the efficacy of aflatoxin mitigation technologies on grain/kernal quality. A total of 312 farmers were recruited, trained on aflatoxin mitigation technologies, and allowed to deploy the technologies for 2 years. After 2 years, 188 of the 312 farmers were tracked to determine whether they had adopted and complied with the mitigation practices. Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 contamination in freshly harvested and stored grains/kernels were assessed. A. flavus frequency and aflatoxin production by fungi were assayed by examining culture characteristics and thin-layer chromatography respectively. AFB1 was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The average aflatoxin contamination in freshly harvested samples was 18.8 μg/kg, which is above the acceptable standard of 10 μg/kg. Contamination increased during storage to an average of 57.2 μg/kg, indicating a high exposure risk. Grains and oilseeds from maize, sorghum, and sunflower produced in aboveground reproductive structures had relatively low aflatoxin contamination compared to those produced in geocarpic structures of groundnut and bambara nut. Farmers who adopted recommended post-harvest management practices had considerably lower aflatoxin contamination in their stored kernels/grains. Furthermore, the effects of these factors were quantified by multivariate statistical analyses. Training and behavioral changes by farmers in their post-harvest practice minimize aflatoxin contamination and improve food safety. Moreover, if non-trained farmers receive mitigation training, aflatoxin concentration is predicted to decrease by 28.9 μg/kg on average

Drivers of Pigeon Pea Consumption Among School-Aged Children in Central Tanzania

Background: Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and iron deficiencies (ID) are of major public health concern in Tanzania including among school-aged children. PEM and ID in early childhood have serious, long-term consequences because they impede motor, sensory, social and emotional development, growth retardation, poor cognitive development, learning disability of children, lowered resistance to infectious diseases, and reduced physical work capacity. The objective of this study was to elucidate the drivers of pigeon pea consumption among school-aged children in Dodoma district, Central Tanzania. Understanding these drivers would be useful in promoting pigeon pea consumption among school-aged children as one of the strategies to increase dietary protein and iron intake. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study in which data were collected using a questionnaire based on a combination of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Health Belief Model. The data were collected from caregivers (n = 138) in four villages in Kongwa district, Dodoma region, Central Tanzania. We used correlations and multiple regressions to assess associations between constructs and identify predictive constructs. Mann–Whitney U tests were used for score comparisons with a significant p-value set at <0.10. Results: Health value was significantly correlated with health behavior identity (rs = 0.63, p < 0.001) and also significantly predicted health behavior identity (rs = 0.49, p = 0.001). The constructs cues to action and control belief were significantly associated with intention (β = −0.41, p = 0.059 and β = 0.06, p = 0.019 respectively). Finally, we observed that intention was a significant predictor of behavior (β = 1.38, p = 0.001). We also observed a significant negative interaction between perceived barriers and intention to consume pigeon pea (β = −0.04, p = 0.006), indicating that perceived barriers limit intention to consume pigeon pea. Conclusion and Implication: Our findings indicate that when the caregiver places increased importance on preventing her school-aged child from being iron or protein deficient or indeed anemic (health value), it results in a positive evaluation of the effectiveness of giving pigeon pea to address these nutrient deficiencies. Programs and efforts aimed at promoting pigeon pea consumption should focus on educating caregivers on iron and protein deficiency and the role that pigeon pea could play in addressing these. However, perceived barriers such as pest infestation during storage need to be addressed to increase pigeon pea consumption. The involvement of post-harvest management specialists is therefore crucial. Along with this, increasing productivity and crop management is also crucial to ensure year-round affordable supply of pigeon pea

Assessment of complementary foods and child feeding practices in Dodoma Region, Tanzania

Journal of Continuing Education and Extension, 2014; 5(1):529-544A study was carried out in Dodoma region, Tanzania to assess complementary foods and child feeding practices. Three hundred and twenty mothers with children aged between 6 to 24 months were selected randomly in four districts (Bahl, Chamwino, Dodoma Municipality and Kondoa) and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using the descriptive statistics. Results show that maize, sorghum and linger millet were commonly used cereals JOr child Pods In Dodoma region. All respondents introduced complementary food's using available cereals before their children attained the age of six months. The average age when children were introduced to complementary foods was between 3.2 and 4.7 months; being lowest in Dodoma Municipality and highest in Kondoa. Utilization and preference of cereals used in complementary foods varied among districts. Utilization of sorghum porridge hi respondents ranged from 23.8% in Chaniwino to 27.8% in Dodoma Municipality. Maize porridge ranged from 24.7% in Chamwino, to 31.3% in Kondoa. Finger millet was the most highly used cereal in Kondoa at (61.2%). Grounchnits, common legumes in Dodoma, were used in complementary fouls at different rates varying from 20.5% in Chal1710110 to 32.4% in Kondoa. Respondents who Jeed children three meals per day ranged from 23.9% in Chainwino, to 26.4 % in Dodonia Municipality. These results show that most respondents did not adhere to the recommended practices of exclusive breast jeeding for six months. There is a need 1hcrelbrc' to sensitize Wainen and the community at large on the importance of recommended practices for breast feeding and promote appropriate complementary Pods and feeding practices in order to avoid likely health complication amon

Assessment of complementary foods and child feeding practices in Dodoma Region, Tanzania

Journal of Continuing Education and Extension, 2014; 5(1):529-544A study was carried out in Dodoma region, Tanzania to assess complementary foods and child feeding practices. Three hundred and twenty mothers with children aged between 6 to 24 months were selected randomly in four districts (Bahl, Chamwino, Dodoma Municipality and Kondoa) and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using the descriptive statistics. Results show that maize, sorghum and linger millet were commonly used cereals JOr child Pods In Dodoma region. All respondents introduced complementary food's using available cereals before their children attained the age of six months. The average age when children were introduced to complementary foods was between 3.2 and 4.7 months; being lowest in Dodoma Municipality and highest in Kondoa. Utilization and preference of cereals used in complementary foods varied among districts. Utilization of sorghum porridge hi respondents ranged from 23.8% in Chaniwino to 27.8% in Dodoma Municipality. Maize porridge ranged from 24.7% in Chamwino, to 31.3% in Kondoa. Finger millet was the most highly used cereal in Kondoa at (61.2%). Grounchnits, common legumes in Dodoma, were used in complementary fouls at different rates varying from 20.5% in Chal1710110 to 32.4% in Kondoa. Respondents who Jeed children three meals per day ranged from 23.9% in Chainwino, to 26.4 % in Dodonia Municipality. These results show that most respondents did not adhere to the recommended practices of exclusive breast jeeding for six months. There is a need 1hcrelbrc' to sensitize Wainen and the community at large on the importance of recommended practices for breast feeding and promote appropriate complementary Pods and feeding practices in order to avoid likely health complication amon

Characterisation of Tmmmian Local Sorghmn Varieties

Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2000, Vol. 3(1) : 69-74Many local varieties of sorghum grown in Tanzania have not been characterised in terms of their end uses. This study was conducted to characterise 14 such varieties. Three improved varieties commonly grown in this country were includedfor comparison. Physical analyses that included 100-grain weight, percent dehulling loss and percent water absorption were done. Chemical analysis of the samples to determine protein, crude fibre, fat, ash, and carbohydrate contents was done. Results showed that the 1 OO-kernel weight ranged between 1.48 and 3. 18 g. Some of the local varieties had kernel sizes that were greater than those of the improved ones. Dehulling losses for the studied varieties ranged from 4.63 to 29.85%. These losses were generally low for the commonly used local varieties. Water absorption ranged between 6.10 and 28.85%. The flour making varieties showed low water absorption capacity. The protein contents of the studied varieties (8.27-13.52%) differed significantly (P<0.05). However, the crudefibre {1.23-2.30%),fat (3.00-4.30%), ash (1.96-4.25%), and carbohydrate contents (78.84-83.96%) ofsorghum varieties did not differ significantly (P>0.05). Studies on endosperm texture revealed that most floury varieties had generally high dehulling losses and were therefore unsuitable for producing dehulled products. Corneous varieties were considered suitable for producing dehulled products due to their low dehulling losses. The intermediate endosperm texture varieties, which also experienced intermediate dehulling losses, need more studies in order to be properly classified Some of these, varieties such as Langalanga are already being used for flour making without prior dehulling. The study, therefore, calls for more screening of the local sorghum varieties not used in this study to identifY their potential in relation to end uses for future exploitation and, where possible, to exploit the promising trait for incorporation in breeding programmes