Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

Food fortification as a tool for addressing malnutrition in developing countries: Including the excluded

2^nd International Conference and Exhibition on Nutritional Science & Therapy

July 15-17, 2013 Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, USA

Adelodun L. Kolapo

Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci

Abstract :

Malnutrition is the greatest single threat to the world?s public health. While Micronutrient malnutrition affects more than one-half of the world?s population (in both developed and developing countries), Protein-Energy-Malnutrition (PEM), to a large extent, is a nutritional disorder often witnessed only in the developing world. An estimated one-third (182 million) of preschool children in the developing world suffer PEM. Seventy eight per cent of these children live in South East Asia and 15 % in Sub-Saharan Africa. For close to ten decades, food fortification had been largely utilized as a tool for solving world?s malnutrition problem, and is currently being viewed as a tool for attaining five of the seven MDGs. In this context, there had been a disproportionate major focus on micronutrient fortification relative to fortification attempt that address PEM. The peculiar nature of the developing world?s malnutrition problem underscores the need for a well structured and holistic approach that involves a fight against both `obvious? and `hidden? hunger. In this regard, this paper advocates the need to factor in what hitherto, have been excluded in the previous and current food fortification programmes. And in such expedition, the expectations of, and the actions needed to be taken by the developing nations in a bid to maximize the opportunities inherent in food fortification are discussed.

Biography :

Kolapo A.L. has completed his Ph.D at the age of 42 years from The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Nigeria. He has published more than 33 papers in reputed journals and serving as an editorial board member of repute.