ABSTRACT
A complementary food was developed from the vitamin A rich
orange fleshed sweet potation to help reduce vitamin A deficiency among
infants. Experimental research design was used for the study. Fifty six infants
of ages 6-24 months were purposively sampled, together with their mothers, to
evaluate 3 complementary food samples code named GAD, PEA, SAB and a control
KAN. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The samples were formulated from
orange fleshed sweet potato, anchovies, onion and tomatoes and the nutrients
and functional properties determined. The results showed that the 3
complementary foods were nutrient dense with high moisture content highest in
PEA and least in GAD. Although GAD had the least moisture content, it turned
out to have the highest ash content. GAD, PEA and SAB were all high in protein
and fibre but lower in fat and carbohydrate, GAD had the highest β carotene
content and bulk density while SAB had the least for both parameters. The water
absorption capacity was higher in PEA, giving it a high swelling power but
lowest solubility index. The lower absorption capacity of SAB was coupled with
highest solubility index. GAD on the other hand had low swelling power. KAN
(control) was the most accepted, followed by GAD, PEA and SAB although it was
not significantly different from these 3. Comments received from the evaluation
by panellists showed that probably, decreasing the amount of fish powder added
and making the texture smooth would make all 3 products liked as much as KAN,
the control. It is recommended that the complementary food samples be
reformulated so as to increase the carbohydrate content.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a global public health problem
and is significant in under-privileged communities of the world (World Health
Organization, 2009). Asia, Latin America and Africa record the highest
incidence of vitamin A deficiency (World Health Organization, 2006). Sommer and
Davidson (2002) defined vitamin A deficiency as serum retinol less than 20
microgram per decilitre (ug/dL). Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in
2009 projected that about 1.02 billion people globally will be affected by
acute micronutrient deficiencies with vitamin A deficiency being ranked as the
highest (Nair, Arya, Vidnapathiranad, Tripathi, Talukder
Srivastava, 2012). African countries report the greatest
number of pre-school children with night blindness and for more than
one-quarter of all children with sub clinical vitamin A deficiency (WHO, 2009).
According to West (2002), about 127.2 million pre-school children worldwide were
deficient in vitamin A. Out of this 25% were found in developing countries like
Ghana and 26% lived in Africa. Egbi (2012) reported an estimated vitamin A
deficiency prevalence rate of 35.6% in Ghana.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient needed in minute amounts
for the normal functioning of the visual system, boosting of the immune system,
maintaining epithelial cellular integrity and also supporting growth and
development (Tariku, Fekadu, Ferede, Abebe & Adane, 2016). It is found in a number of forms such as retinol, retinal, retinoic acid or
retinyl ester. Vitamin A requirements are usually expressed in retinol
equivalents (RE). Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) arises when a diet provides
inadequate vitamin A to meet physiological needs which may be worsened by high
rates of infection, especially diarrhoea and measles (WHO, 2009). Vitamin A
deficiency causes night blindness, severe anaemia, wasting, reproductive and
infectious morbidity, and increase risk of mortality (Sommer & Davidson,
2002). VAD also increases the severity of infections such as measles and
diarrhoeal disease in children, and slows recovery from illness (GSS, 2008).
Acute vitamin A deficiency (VAD) causes xerophthalmia, which is the inability
to see in low light or darkness (Ross, 2010).
Infants commence their life with an urgent need for vitamin
A. Hence, infants from 1–59 months of age have increased need of vitamin A to
sustain their rapid growth and to fight infections (WHO, 2011). United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) (2016) reports that high dose of vitamin A supplements ought to
be provided to infants every four (4) to six (6) months until they are five
years old.
Vitamin A can be found in two (2) main dietary sources;
retinoid from animal sources and pro-vitamin A carotenoid from plants. Retinoid
is found in animals and its products like fish, eggs, liver and full -cream
milk (Guthrie & Picciano, 1995; Trumbo, Yates, Schlicker & Poos, 2001),
whereas pro-vitamin A carotenoid is found in plant based foods such as dark
green, orange and yellow fleshed vegetables and fruits (Harrison, 2005), which
is later converted into retinol (vitamin A) in the gut (de Pee, West, Hautvast,
Muhilal, Karyadi
West, 1995). Foods from animal origin provide the best source
of vitamin
A. However, a greater number of people in developing
countries like Ghana cannot afford purchasing and consuming lots of animal
products (Onyango, 2003).
After the first 6 months of an infant’s life, breast milk
alone cannot provide the full nutrients needed for proper growth and
development thereby creating a gap in the nutritional requirements (WHO, 2003;
Dewey, 2001), hence the introduction to complementary foods. Nutritional
requirements of infants are most critical during this period of complementary
feeding where both macro and micronutrients may be insufficient to maintain
growth and development (Ojinnaka, Ebinyasi, Ihemeje & Okorie, 2013).
In Ghana, most of the complementary foods prepared are
cereal-based (Amagloh, Weber, Brough, Hardacre, Mutukumira & Coad, 2012a).
These cereal-based foods are often poor nutritional sources of vitamin A
(Amagloh, Hardacre, Mutukumira, Weber, Brough, & Coad, 2012; Amagloh &
Coad, 2014). Lutter, Rodriguez, Fuenmayor, Avila, Sempertegui and Escobar
(2008) and Amagloh et al. (2012), identified vitamin A deficiency to be among
the world’s most prevalent nutritional problems. There are numerous strategies
that can be employed to redress the issues of vitamin A deficiency. These
include; food fortification, vitamin A capsule supplementation, food
diversification and nutrition education. According to Allen (2008), food–based
strategies have been recognized as a more workable and sustainable alternative
for addressing micronutrient deficiencies.
Sweet potato is known scientifically as Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.
It is one of the chief staple crops and the most key food security promoting
root crop in the world, especially in sub Saharan Africa (Low, Lynam, Lemaga,
Crissman, Bakr & Thiele, 2009). Sweet potatoes have
several health benefits, such as improving blood sugar regulation, improving
vitamin A status and reducing risk of several types of cancer (United Nations
Population Division, 2007).
According to Picha and Padda, (2009), and Burri, Chang and
Neidlinger, (2011), some varieties of sweet potatoes have high amount of
ß-carotene, which is a precursor of vitamin A. Orange-fleshed sweet potato is
ranked as one of the most competent plant sources of β-carotene, the pro-vitamin
A (Hagenimana & Low, 2000) therefore may be used to lessen vitamin A
deficiency amongst children. Orange-fleshed sweet potato was chosen in this
study because of its high ß-carotene content, which makes it a potential crop
in alleviating vitamin A deficiency among children in Ghana.
Statement of the Problem
The period of complementary feeding is a crucial stage in an
infant’s life. In Ghana, complementary foods are normally prepared from either
cereals only or blended with legumes. These complementary foods are not
fortified with vitamins and minerals and normally of low nutritive value which
affects the developmental growth of infants.
Sweet potato (orange fleshed variety) is grown and promoted
in Ghana by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture but is currently being
underutilized. It has high β carotene content but easily perishable, therefore
it cannot be stored for a long period of time. It should be processed to
prolong its shelf life and diversify its uses. Increasing the utilization and
the consumption of orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) in children’s diet may be
an excellent approach to reducing vitamin A deficiency in Ghana as an estimated
prevalence rate of 35.6% was reported in Ghana in 2012 (Egbi, 2012).
It is in view of this, that the researcher developed
complementary food from orange fleshed sweet potatoes that would be accepted by
the populace so as to help reduce the problem of vitamin A deficiency
especially among infants in Cape Coast and its environs.
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