No abstract

The economic feasibility of maize flour and maize meal fortification in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia is assessed using information about the maize milling industry, households' purchases and consumption levels of maize flour, and the incremental cost and estimated price impacts of fortification. Premix costs comprise the overwhelming share of incremental fortification costs and vary by 50% in Kenya and by more than 100% across the three countries. The estimated incremental cost of maize flour fortification per metric ton varies from $3.19 in Zambia to $4.41 in Uganda. Assuming all incremental costs are passed onto the consumer, fortification in Zambia would result in at most a 0.9% increase in the price of maize flour, and would increase annual outlays of the average maize flour-consuming household by 0.2%. The increases for Kenyans and Ugandans would be even less. Although the coverage of maize flour fortification is not likely to be as high as some advocates have predicted, fortification is economically feasible, and would reduce deficiencies of multiple micronutrients, which are significant public health problems in each of these countries.

No abstract

Background.

High concentrations of flavonoids were found in the roots of Rhynchosia insignis and R heterophylla used for the preparation of the popular Zambian munkoyo beverage. The major flavonoids were isolated and identified by means of fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy and co-chromatography with authentic standards as vicenin-2, schaftoside, isoschaftoside and an isovitexin derivative (in both species) and, additionally, vitexin, isovitexin and a violanthintype compound in R heterophylla. As these compounds are yellow to orangeyellow in the concentrations found in the roots, they are likely to be responsible for the yellow coloration of the beverage before fermentation.