A complementary food supplement from local food ingredients to enhance iron intake among children aged 6–59 months in Benin

Abstract

Nutritious complementary feeding is often not affordable in Benin, and iron deficiency exists. This research aimed at formulating an affordable and sensory acceptable complementary food supplement using local food ingredients to increase iron intake among children aged 6–59 months in Benin. The complementary food supplement was formulated to ensure that 10 g would cover 25% of the estimated average requirements for iron for children aged 6 to 12 months. Adansonia digitata fruit pulp, Moringa oleifera leaf powder, and Cochlospermum tinctorium root powder were used to compose the complementary food supplement, which was mixed with maize and sorghum ogi porridges before being presented to the mothers and children for the acceptability test. The mineral contents of Adansonia digitata fruit pulp in mg/100 g dw were 9.9 ± 0.1 for iron and 0.9 ± 0.1 for zinc. The iron and zinc contents of Moringa oleifera leaf powder and Cochlospermum tinctorium root powder in mg/100 g dw were 34.1 ± 2.2 and 26.8 ± 2.7 and 9 ± 0.0 and 0.9 ± 0.0, respectively. The complementary food supplement contained, in mg/100 g dw, 17.4 ± 1.1 of iron and 1.2 ± 0.1 of zinc. The maize and sorghum ogi porridges enriched with the complementary food supplement at substitution rates of 15% and 16% (in dry weight), respectively, were acceptable to 85% of children for sorghum ogi porridge and 87% for maize ogi porridge. The present study demonstrated the potential of local food ingredients in the formulation of an iron‐rich and acceptable complementary food supplement for children aged 6–59 months in Benin.

Consumption and mineral profile of Cochlospermum spp. root powder: A traditional food ingredient in Sudanian zone of Benin (West Africa)

“…root powder could probably be promoted as moringa leaf powder to alleviate iron deficiencies among population. For calcium content, the range value found (573.7 ± 98–802.5 ± 49.9 mg/100 g dw) in this research is lower than the value found by Affonfere et al 11 which is 1061.3 ± 11.5 mg/100 g dw. This discrepancy could be mainly due to the genetic background 45,46 of the Cochlospermum spp.…”

“…43 also found that there is no statistical significant difference between the climatic zones for micronutrients concentration such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) expect for iron (Fe) for Adansonia digitata leaves. Iron content (54.1 ± 21.5 mg/100 g dw) found in this research is ranged between the values of 26.8 ± 2.7 mg/100 g dw and 70.1 mg/100 g dw previously found by Affonfere et al 11 and Chadare et al 8 respectively. This iron content of Cochlospermum spp.…”

“…Mean data for the two species showed that total ash in the root (93.0 g/Kg) almost doubled the value of 39.2 g/Kg obtained for the stem 10 . The combination of C. tinctorium root powder with moringa leaf powder and baobab fruit pulp was proposed as a pathway to alleviate iron deficiencies among children aged 6 to 59 months in Benin 11 . Ndouyang, Gaiani, and Scher 12 have also developed a therapeutic infant gruel (with low viscosity) using C. tinctorium root powder as food ingredient.…”

“…Affonfere et al 11 formulated a complementary food supplement with the combination of C. tinctorium root powder, Adansonia digitata fruit pulp and Moringa leaf powder as a pathway to deliver nutrient-dense food to children aged 6-59 months.…”

“…10 The combination of C. tinctorium root powder with moringa leaf powder and baobab fruit pulp was proposed as a pathway to alleviate iron deficiencies among children aged 6 to 59 months in Benin. 11 Ndouyang, Gaiani, and Scher 12 have also developed a therapeutic infant gruel (with low viscosity) using C. tinctorium root powder as food ingredient. In Sudanian zone of Benin, 13 food uses of Cochlospermum spp.…”