Food processing to
challenge malnutrition
Symposium “food technology for better nutrition”
Nutrition Foundation of India
30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
New Delhi, India
Presenter: Bertrand Salvignol
Commodity Quality Control Officer
World Food Programme, Bangkok
Food processing
Definition:
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform
raw ingredients into products for consumption by humans or animals … to
produce attractive, nutritive, affordable, marketable food products and
stabilized for storage over long periods.
Benefits of food processing:
 Improved food security
 Creating sustainable livelihoods and economic development
 Improved bio-availability and digestibility, toxin removal, preservation,
flavor improvement, ease of marketing and distribution.
 Increased seasonal availability and improved transportation of delicate
perishable foods across long distances.
 Improved quality of life for people with allergies, diabetics, and others who
cannot consume some common food elements.
 Enables the addition of extra nutrients (e.g. minerals and vitamins).
 Increased shelf life, less susceptibility to spoilage than unprocessed foods.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Brief history of food processing
Prehistoric times: need for preservation techniques
 Slaughtering, sun drying, salt preservation, fermenting
 Then cooking: roasting, smoking, oven baking, and steaming
Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Latin times:
 … milling, brewing …
Modern history:
 1809: Nicholas Appert – Vacuum bottling
 1810: Peter Durand - Canning / tinning
 1862: Louis Pasteur – Pasteurization
 20th century: spray drying, ice drying, extrusion-cooking, freezing,
microwave, continuous treatments …, and addition of preservatives,
colorants, enzymes, micro-nutrients, etc
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Specifications of WFP’s food
 Safe
 Well packaged
 Easy to transport and to store
 Cost-effective
 Versatile
 Easy to target
 Practical, easy to prepare, enabling fuel savings
 Culturally acceptable
 Legally authorized
And
 Nutritious …
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Nutritional quality of WFP’s food

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Macronutrients and Energy contents: Protein / Fat / kcal
Micronutrient contents: % of RNI/RDA covered according to age,
sex, physiological status and programme nutritional objectives
Nutrient bio-availability, food digestibility
Nutrient density: consistency (special food for young children),
while avoiding displacement of essential nutrients
Nutrient availability at beneficiary level: preservation during
storage, preparation, …
…
In accordance with the Codex Alimentarius, National Regulations
and WFP specifications.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
WFP’s processed foods
Pre-cooking (roasting / extrusion-cooking / IR treatment)
• Fortified Blended Foods: Wheat Soya Blend [Indiamix], Corn Soya Blend,
Rice Milk Blend, … (multi-min/vit mix)
Milling
• Fortified flours: maize meal, wheat flour,
atta (multi-min/vit mix)
Baking
• Fortified biscuits (multi-min/vit mix)
Refining
• Fortified oil (Vitamin A, Vitamin D)
Grinding / mixing
• Fortified salt (Iodine)
Steaming / Frying
• Fortified noodles (multi-min/vit mix)
Roasting / Grinding / Blending
• Emergency commodities (Plumpy Nut®, RUTF, RUSF, …)
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
WFP’s food processing activities in Asia
(as WFP’s region)
Fortified Blended Foods
Fortified Oil & Ghee
Fortified Biscuits (on going
study)
Fortified Blended
Foods (WSB & CSB)
Fortified Biscuits
Fortified Coconut Oil
Fortified Blended Foods
Fortified Biscuits
Fortified Atta
Fortified Blended Foods
(RMB, CMB, CSM)
Fortified biscuit
Fortified Blended Foods
(January 2006)
Fortified Noodles (since 2004)
Fortified Biscuits
...and wheat flour fortification in Afghanistan, and Pakistan, FBF and
biscuits production in Pakistan
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Why food processing is now
focusing on micronutrient
fortification and not on food
with protein & energy?
Nutrition Science Pendulum
is Swinging
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
The food nutrition pendulum
(Soekirman 2006, modified from Martorell & Rivera, 2000, Advances in Nutrition Research, 100 yrs PAHO)
Supplementation
Fortification
Fortification
Sprinkles
RUTF / RUSF
(2000’s)
Milk
Supplementation
Ongoing
Proteins
(50s-60s)
Quality
Micronutrients
(90s)
Enough quantity,
Micronutrients,
Animal Protein,
Energy Density,
Fat quality and
Active feeding
Calories
(70s-80s)
Quantity
Balance Diet
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Integrated Approaches to eliminate
Micronutrient Deficiencies
Relative contribution of
interventions to eliminate MND
(V.Mannar, MI, 2003)
Supplementation
Public Health
Measures
Fortification
Dietary improvement
2000
2005
2010
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
WFP policy (Executive Board, May 2004)
• Careful attention to be paid to micronutrients in
needs assessment and ration planning,
• Programming donor-supplied or internationally
procured fortified foods on an increasingly large
scale,
• Promotion and use of locally-produced and
fortified commodities in at least 13 low
income, food deficit countries,
• Advocacy for fortification at national and
international policy making levels
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Copenhagen consensus
• The world’s leading economists ranked the
solutions that would offer the biggest bang for
the buck, micronutrients came in just near the
top.
• It would cost about 25 cents to help each
individual suffering from iron deficiencies, yet the
benefits in terms of increased productivity, run to
as much as $50 per person/year.
• In other words, we could do more than 200 times
as much good as we spend.
Bjørn Lomborg (director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center) in
Foreign Policy, June 2007.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Controlling and Preventing
micronutrient deficiencies
There are two ways to control
micronutrient deficiencies:
By reducing the demand for a specific
micronutrient
Or
By increasing the supply of
micronutrients.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Reducing the demand for
micronutrients
Reducing the demand is possible by NON-FOOD
interventions:
 Improvement of hygiene.
 Improvement of prophylaxis (e.g. by conventional
immunisation).
 Improvement of treatment of infectious diseases.
 De-worming to control anaemia.
 Malaria control to combat anaemia.
 Health measures such as sun exposure to protect
against vitamin D deficiency.
WFP in Asia: Collaboration with MOHs, NGOs, UNICEF
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Increasing the supply of
micronutrients
There are several ways to increase the
supply of micronutrients :
 Supplementation (including Sprinkle
strategies),
 Food-based approach (including
Fortification of foods),
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Increasing the supply of
micronutrients
The supplementation approach consists of:
• Distribution of Vitamin A capsules or Iron/Folate tablets;
low-cost, successful but not necessarily cost effective
approaches.
• New approaches: Sprinkles (also called homefortification)
Distributing micronutrients often delivers only a few
micronutrients, and as they are highly targeted
approaches they may reach only a limited population
and have low compliance rate.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Increasing the supply of
micronutrients
The food-based approach consists of:
• Increasing the food production by more
efficient agricultural practices (e.g. India,
Vietnam, China, etc.).
• Increasing the micronutrient content of
foods by improving the plant genome (biofortification).
• Increasing consumption of specific foods by
nutrition education, lowering food prices,
improving access to the market, subsidizing
foods, and other similar measures.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Increasing the supply of
micronutrients
Fortification approach (included in a food-based
approach) refers to the addition of essential
micronutrients to food.
• Fortification of food with vitamins and minerals was
introduced in the 20’s in western countries (e.g. salt
iodisation in Switzerland started in 1923).
• The efficiency of these programmes were extensively
analysed and documented. In the USA flour fortification
in 1938 reduced mortality due to pellagra from 3,000 per
year in 1938 to zero in 1950.
• In the developed countries a wide range of products are
fortified with minerals and/or vitamins (e.g. breakfast
cereals, oil/margarine, flours, etc.).
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Cost of Food Fortification
• Salt: US$ 0.1 / MT
• Wheat Flour: US$ 1 - 4 / MT
• Fortified Biscuits: US$ 9 - 20 / MT
• Fortified Blended Foods: US$ 15 - 17 / MT
The cost includes fortificant cost, investment in new
equipment, quality assurance at factory level, monitoring
cost at the State Level (e.g. Atta fortification at village
level in Gujarat is costing Rp 0.10/kg)
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Cost-effectiveness of different interventions
(from WHO-FAO, 2006)
Cost per DALY saved
250
Water
disinfection
Oral rehyd.
200
150
Zn suppl.
100
Pneumonia
manag.
50
Vit. A & Zn fortif.
Fe fortif.
Fe suppl.
0
Fortification is the most cost effective strategy …
but does it work?
NB: DALY: cost per disability-adjusted life-year saved. Context: West Africa
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Evaluation (Efficacy)
in controlled conditions
Ghana: Comparison of 3 fortified supplement / RCT. “ …All 3
supplements had positive effects on motor milestone acquisition by 12
mo compared with no intervention…”. (Adu-Afarwuah et al, AJCN 2007)
Kenya: Maize meal / RCT. “ … consumption of whole maize flour
fortified with NaFeEDTA caused modest, dose-dependent
improvements in children’s iron status …” (Andang’o et al, Lancet 2007)
Pakistan: Wheat flour fortification with lysine. These results indicate
that lysine fortification of wheat flour can significantly improve sensitive
indicators of nutritional status in a population consuming a diet in which
58% to 65% of the protein, depending on age and sex, is supplied by
wheat. (Hussain et al. Food Nut Bull 2004)
Vietnam: “… 6-month efficacy trials have established that fortification of
fish sauce with iron can significantly improve iron status and reduce
anemia and iron deficiency…” (Thuy et al. AJCN 2003).
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Evaluation (Effectiveness)
in real conditions
 Indonesia: Home fortification in emergency. “… providing
micronutrients [sprinkles] … is feasible. (de Pee et al, Food Nut Bull
2007)
 Central America: Sugar fortification in Guatemala and
Honduras. “ …prevalence of low plasma retinol decrease over time
…”. (ADB, WHO – 2004)
• South Africa: Fortified biscuits. “… fortification of a biscuit … at a
level of 50% of the RDA is enough to maintain serum retinol
concentrations from day to day …”. (van Stuijvenberg et al. Pub Health
Nut 2001)
• Haiti: Donated CSB. “…CSB was key to achieving the
recommended iron and zinc densities of complementary foods for
children 12 to 23 months of age …” (Ruel et al, Food Nut Bull 2004)
• Morocco: “ … double-blind effectiveness trial in Moroccan
schoolchildren has demonstrated that the dual fortification of salt
with iron and iodine can improve both iron and iodine status
(Zimmermann et al. Eur J Endo 2002)
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Product studies
WFP STUDY: Micronutrient losses in FBF at factory and household
level (gruel preparation)
•
Vitamin A, 5 minutes of boiling reduced the content by about 42% percent,
which is in line with 50% retention of vitamin A reported in gruels made from
maize meal (Johnson, 2004)
•
Vitamin C, 5 minute of boiling, vitamin C content dropped from 348 mg/kg
to below the detection limit.
Other WFP studies:
•
Retention of micronutrient in biscuits and noodles at factory level in
Bangladesh and Indonesia
•
Shelf-life study of Rice-Soya-Blend in Thailand
•
Digestibility, Energy-density, Destruction of anti-nutritional factors,
microbiology, rancidity of Fortified Blended Foods produced by different
processes (by Kemin Industry Ltd.)
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Product study: WFP study of micronutrient
losses in atta at mill and household level (roti
preparation)
Shelf-life loss
Preparation loss
Total loss
Vitamin A
7%
27%
34%
Vitamin B1
1%
33%
34%
Vitamin B2
20%
17%
37%
Vitamin B3
3%
5%
8%
Folic Acid
21%
33%
54%
Shelf-life loss
Preparation gain
Total gain
Iron
1%
25% ±
24%
Zinc
0%
15% ±
15%
Calcium
3%
17% ±
14%
Most likely due to contaminant sources of minerals, i.e. dirt, cooking utensils, etc.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Achievement in India:
Small-scale atta fortification in Surendranagar
district, Gujarat
• Developed appropriate premix composition (diluted) for small-scale
fortification, Village Chakkis and Home Chakkis
• Increased nutrition awareness on the importance of fortification with an
intensive IEC campaign in 400 villages
• Enhanced the local capacity to produce fortified flour (bajra or wheat) by
training 446 Chakki Wallahs on fortification
• Improved access to fortified food for 90% of Gujaratis
• Demonstrated how to maintain the premix pipeline
• Devised a monitoring system for premix and fortified atta
• Provided a replicable model for small-scale atta fortification in Gujarat
and India
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Achievement in India:
School feeding
• Fortified biscuits
– Distributed to 674,360 school children
– Produced in India and used in WFP operations in Afghanistan
– Efficacy study results: Reduction in anemia status and Improved
serum retinol levels
• On-site fortification with micronutrients (new strategy)
–
–
–
–
–
Add micronutrients directly to traditional foods cooked in the schools
Build capacity of 2,400 school cooks to add micronutrients
Build capacity of 1,200 school teachers to report utilization
Develop distribution pipeline for micronutrients
Create nutrition awareness among school staff and parents
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Achievement in India:
INDIAMIX:
• In 2006, WFP distributed 23,555 MT to 1.4 million beneficiaries
• Extruded fortified blended food, produced in 7 factories across India
• Versatile product that can be adapted for different target populations
– Distributed to children, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent
girls thru the ICDS
• Wheat (50%), Soya (25%) Sugar (20%) + Micronutrients
– Distributed to people receiving ART treatment
• Wheat (75%), soya (25%) + More Micronutrients
• Indiamix is now distributed by 6 State governments
Improvement for the future:
•
Enhance palatability, digestibility, better micronutrient composition and
stability, improved product shelf-life, etc.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Future challenges

Access to (potable) water

High commodity prices (due to bio-fuels, meat consumption, etc.) “forcing” poor
people to subsist on diet consisting of staple foods such as starchy roots and tubers
and little else.

Pressure from population growth and poverty

Increased urban population

More targeted interventions (People Living With Hiv/Aids, elderly, etc.)

New pandemics (e.g. Avian Human Influenza)

New food rules and regulations (i.e. local and international)

New technologies (e.g. processing, analytical, etc.)

New products, packaging, etc.

Mainstreaming fortified foods into large scale nutrition-feeding programmes and
demand generation at the consumer level
WFP needs to keep up with innovations and to collaborate with organizations (e.g.
research institutes, FAO, GAIN, MI, etc.) as well as the private sector (e.g. DSM,
Kemin, etc) to propose sustainable, viable, and cost-effective solutions to fight against
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
malnutrition.
Integrated approaches
A food-based approach is the most sustainable way of meeting
the nutritional needs of populations
• It empowers individuals and households to take ultimate
responsibility over the quality of their diet through their own
production of nutrient-rich foods and informed consumer choices.
• It can address multiple nutrients simultaneously, including dietary
energy, protein and various micronutrients, without the risk of
antagonistic nutrient interactions or overload.
In the meantime, food technology (incl. fortification processes) must
be part of this integrated approach to enhance food nutritional
quality, as well as its safety.
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007
Thank you
Symposium Food Technology for better nutrition. New Delhi, 30 Nov – 01 Dec, 2007