Additifs alimentaires: inventaire des substances ajoutées aux denrées alimentaires de large consommation dans l'Ouest algérien / Food additives : inventory of substances added to consumer foods in Western Algeria

Introduction- Les additifs alimentaires sont utilisés pour prolonger la durée de conservation des denrées préparées ou édulcorer une boisson par exemple. Dans cette étude, nous dressons un état des lieux des additifs alimentaires utilisés dans quelques denrées alimentaires de large consommation commercialisées dans la ville d'Oran (Ouest Algérien). Matériels et méthodes- Une étude transversale descriptive a été réalisée au niveau des superettes et magasins d'alimentation générale de la ville d'Oran pour lister les additifs alimentaires incorporés à quelques aliments de large consommation Dans un premier temps, une étude descriptive transversale a été réalisée pendant trois mois au sein de trois structures hospitalières de l'Ouest algérien. Résultats-Au total, 114 additifs alimentaires ont été répertoriés. Tous les additifs inventoriés sont listés dans le journal officiel Algérien N°30 du 16 Mai 2012.Les additifs répertoriés ne sont pas sans risques pour la santé du consommateur. Certains additifs comme le colorant caramel ou SIN150d est retrouvé dans 3 marques locales de biscuits et 4 marques de boissons locales (17,5%) ; le benzoate de sodium ou SIN211 dans 12 marques de boissons et 2 marques de confiture (16,09%) ; le butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) ou SIN320 dans une marque de chocolat, de margarine et de chips (1,67%). Globalement, les étiquettes des produits sont conformes à la réglementation Algérienne à l'exception de quelques manquements comme la nature de l'arôme qui ne fut pas toujours spécifiée Conclusion-L'étude a révélé une importante utilisation des additifs alimentaires. Le niveau de risque pour la santé du consommateur que pourraient présenter ces substances nécessite une large sensibilisation du consommateur, notamment une consommation modérée des denrées alimentaires industriellement préparées.

Practice of food hygiene among nursing mothers attending under-five clinics in a rural community in Edo State, Nigeria

Children under the age of five are prone to foodborne diseases, resulting from poor food hygiene because of their less effective immune systems. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene among nursing mothers attending under-five clinics.Method: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, involving 330 nursing mothers attending the under-five clinic in health care facilities. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.A p-value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant.Result: Eighty-two percent of the respondents had good knowledge of food hygiene; 95.2% had a good attitude and 82.7% demonstrated good practice. Knowledge on food hygiene was significantly associated with the age of the respondents (P=0.008) and their educational status (P=0.001), those with tertiary education doing better. Similarly, respondents with tertiary education had significantly better attitude (P=0.001 and practice (P=0.001). The predictors of knowledge on food hygiene were education status (odds ratio [OR] =0.249, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.126, 0.492) and occupation of the respondents (OR = 2.158, 95% CI: 1.156, 4.026). Educational status was also the predictor for positive attitude (OR =0.143, 95% CI: 0.031, 0.667) and practice of food hygiene (OR =0.394, 95% CI: 0.210, 0.738).Conclusion: The knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene among the respondents was good. Predictors of knowledge included level of education and occupation. Government at the State and Local Government levels should organize regular health promotion on food hygiene.

Smoked Food Consumption as Significant Risk Factor for Advanced Breast Cancer on Bone Scan in Southwest Nigerian Hospital

The ingestion of smoked foods has been linked to the development of cancer. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been recognized as carcinogenic compounds which contaminate smoked foods; their ingestion has been linked to the development of cancers such as breast cancer. Breast cancer may be evaluated using the nuclear bone scan as an imaging modality. This study reviewed bone scan results of patients with a positive history of consumption of smoked foods who presented at a Nuclear Medicine facility in South-West Nigeria. Our results show a significant association between a positive history of consumption of smoked foods and the presence of advanced breast cancer on the bone scan ((χ2 = 11.190, p = 0.001, df = 2; Crude Odds Ratio (95% CI) = 1.692 (1.242-2.304). Thus, those patients with a history of eating smoked foods have between 50-100% increase in the risk of having abnormal scan findings. In a logistic regression, this association was retained (AOR=0.591 (0.434-0.805). Recommendations are made to address the significance of these findings

Characterization of antibiotic resistance and species diversity of staphylococci isolated from apparently healthy farm animals

Background: Staphylococcus species are adaptable commensals usually involved in a diverse multiplicity of ailments in animals and humans. This study surveyed the occurrence, antibiotic-resistance profile and putative resistant genetic elements of staphylococci isolates from apparently healthy farm animals Methodology: Nasal and rectal samples were collected from a total of 400 cows and pigs in Benin City between May and December 2017. Staphylococci were isolated following aerobic cultures of samples using standard microbiological methods. Susceptibility profiles of the isolates to eighteen selected antimicrobials were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. Species of staphylococci were established and antibiotic resistance genes detected by the polymerase chain reaction using species-specific and antibiotic-resistant primers respectively Result: A total of 139 staphylococci isolates were phenotypically and genotypically identified from the food-producing animals; 87 (62.6%) from pigs and 52 (37.4%) from cows. The most frequent Staphylococcus species were Staphylococcus haemolyticus 38 (27.3%), Staphylococcus aureus 27 (19.4%) and Staphylococcus capitis 21 (15.1%). Antibiotic resistance profile showed 120 (86.3%) isolates to be resistant to penicillin G, 100 (71.9%) to nalidixic acid and 99 (71.2%) to minocycline. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes assessed were mecA 78 (56.1%), mphC 23 (16.6%), and ermA 20 (14.4%). Conclusion: Our finding indicates that food animals are potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistant staphylococci which pose a significant threat to food security and public health

Survey on visual acuity among intra-city commercial vehicle drivers in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria

Driving is recognized to be a visually intensive task and accordingly legal minimum standard of vision required for all motorists is stipulated. This study was carried out to find out how many commercial drivers in Ibadan North L.G.A met minimum legal requirement for driving in Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 340 commercial vehicle drivers selected by multistage sampling from eight transport stations (motor parks) in the city. Visual impairment was defined as vision acuity (VA) in both eyes which is below 3/18 but above 3/60 (VA <6/18≥3/60) and was assessed with the Snellen's chart. All participants have valid driving licenses. One sixth [52, (15.3%)] have visual acuity below 6/9 and 18 (5.3%) have visual impairment (VA <6/18≥3/60). More of those drivers aged 40 years and more had visual impairment compared to the younger drivers (P<0.05). These findings suggest that regulatory standards for licensing drivers are being circumvented by some of the drivers. Mechanisms for ensuring compliance to the regulatory standards especially visual acuity is therefore recommended

Assessment of the relationship between water insecurity, hygiene practices, and incidence of diarrhea among children from rural households of the Menoua Division, West Cameroon

The objectives of a cross-sectional, semi-quantitative study were to: i) assess the prevalence of water insecurity and its association with water access-related behaviors such as time, distance, and sources of water; ii) identify major themes of concern raised in reference to anxiety, water quality/quantity, and perceived health risk domains of water insecurity, and; iii) examine the relationship between water insecurity, hygiene practices, and diarrhea lincidence among children in rural areas of the Menoua Division in the Western Region of Cameroon In-person interviews were conducted with 18 years or older women living with at least one child between 2 and 5 years old (n=134). Participants spent on average 17±12 minutes walking to a drinking water source. Prevalence of water insecurity was 58%, and it was associated with a lower hygiene score among caretakers, i.e., hygiene score of water secure: 9.2±1.2 vs. insecure: 8.2±2.2, F(1, 132)=8.096, P<0.01). Overall, the incidence of diarrhea among children was 18%, and it was significantly higher among water insecure house-holds (79%) compared with secure house-holds (21%, P=0.02). In conclusion, access to improved sources of water is an issue in rural areas. Addressing water insecurity is critical in promoting optimal health and development of children due to its association with poor hygiene practices among caretakers

Hunger in the midst of plenty: a survey of household food security among urban families in Lagos State, Nigeria

Research has documented that food security at national level does not translate to food security at household level. The study assessed the level of food security among urban households in Shomolu LGA, Lagos State. Using the 9-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) information was collected from 306 heads of households on adequacy of food availability and consumption. Data were analyzed using Epi info and presented as frequencies and percentages. Associations between variables were tested using Chisquare at a significance level of 0.05. Households were classified as food secure, food insecure without hunger and food insecure with hunger. Only 33.8% of households were food secure, 45.1% were food insecure without hunger and 21.1% were food insecure with hunger. Food secure households were statistically significantly associated with households where heads had secondary or higher education, women were married, spending <40% of household monthly income on food and living in their own homes (P=0.001). Household food insecurity is found in urban communities and is positively associated with indicators of poverty

The barriers that women face when choosing food for their primary school children: A case study in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Background. Unhealthy food choices made by mothers can impact negatively on child health and may lead to unhealthy eating behaviours that persist into adulthood. Choosing food is a complex process influenced by many factors. Objectives. To determine the factors that influence mothers' food choices and to investigate barriers to purchasing healthy food.Methods. A cross-sectional, descriptive study, with an analytical component, was conducted. Mothers (N=476) were recruited from three randomly selected primary schools, from a low, middle and high quintile. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers. Six focus groups (FG) (two per school) were conducted to investigate the factors that prevent mothers from making healthy dietary decisions.Results. The mean nutrition knowledge score for the group was 68.6%. Nutrition knowledge was significantly lower (p<0.01) in mothers from the lower quintile school (64.0%). Primary factors influencing food purchases were cost (60%), nutritional value (37%) and time constraints (29%). Primary sources of nutrition information included magazines and health professionals at 62% and 44%, respectively. Time constraints resulted in mothers purchasing convenience foods more often (p=0.001). The main barriers identified were mixed media messages, the school environments and supermarket layouts.Conclusion. Nutrition education campaigns should include practical advice, e.g. the preparation of economical, wholesome meals. Policymakers should monitor increasing prices of healthy foods. School and supermarket environments, as well as the food industry, can play a pivotal role in facilitating mothers to make healthy food choices

Preoperative fasting times: Prescribed and actual fasting times at Universitas Hospital Annex, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Background. Guidelines recommend a preoperative fasting period of 6 hours for solid food and 2 hours for clear fluids. Because of fixed meal times and imprecise operation starting times, patients often fast for an extended period of time.Objective. To investigate the prescribed preoperative fasting times, and the actual duration of fasting, compared with the internationally accepted fasting times for solid food and clear fluids.Methods. Patients (N=105) aged 14 - 60 years, who were scheduled for elective surgery in the morning session (list starting time 07h00), were included in this prospective study. On arrival in theatre, all patients were asked when they last ate and drank. Anaesthetic records were used to determine the prescribed fasting times and operation starting times. Results. For solids, patients were most frequently prescribed to start fasting from 22h00 to 00h00 (53.3% and 39.1%, respectively). No patient fasted <8 hours. The median duration of fasting was 14 hours and 45 minutes (range 9 hours and 45 minutes - 19 hours and 5 minutes). For fluids, patients were most frequently prescribed to start fasting from 05h00 (46.7%), 00h00 (27.6%) and 22h00 (7.6%). In practice, no patient ingested fluids after 22h30 or <9 hours preoperatively. The median fasting time for oral fluids was 13 hours and 25 minutes (range 9 hours and 37 minutes - 19 hours and 5 minutes).Conclusion. Most patients started fasting too early preoperatively, consequently withholding food and oral fluids for longer than recommended. An increased awareness regarding complications of unnecessarily long fasting times, and interventions to correct this problem, is required

Nutritional Practices and Taboos among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at General Hospital in Kano; Northwest Nigeria

Background: Food taboos among rural women have been identified as one of the factors contributing to maternal undernutrition in pregnancy. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore some of the taboos and nutritional practices among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a General Hospital in Dawakin Kudu LGA; Kano; Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 220 pregnant women. Interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to interview the respondents; which showed various sociodemographic information; cultural nutritional processes; taboos of the community; and a 24 h food recall. The ages; parities; and gestational ages of the women were collated. Descriptive statistics was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software Version 17.0 (SPSS Inc.; Chicago; IL; USA). Association between sociodemographic factors and nutritional practices and taboos was determined using Chi-square test and P 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: At the end of the study; 200 participants (91%) gave complete information. Most of the women; 70% (140/200) were in the 20-39 years age range with mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 23.7 (6.1) years; mostly uneducated; 70% (140/200); and unemployed; 51% (102/200). Most of the women did a child spacing of 12-24 months; 62% (124/200) with mean (SD) child spacing interval of 26.32 (10.19) months. Gestational age at booking was mostly 13-26 weeks; 48% (96/200) with an average of 26.60 (8.01). Most of the women had 1-4 children; 54.5% (109/200) with mean (SD) of 2.47 (2.50). Most of the women agreed that they had adequate intake of oil; 86% (172/200); meat/fish; 92% (194/200); fruit/vegetables 56% (112/200); and had 3 meals/day 80% (152/200); and did not practice pica 83% (166/200). All of the women; 100% (200/200) believe that women should eat more during pregnancy in order to have healthy babies. They were mostly supported by their husbands; 53% (106/200) and less likely by the community; 34% (17/200). The nutritional practices and taboos of the women showed a statistically significant association with age; parity; and support received from husband and community (P 0.05). Educational status is not associated with their nutritional practices and taboos. Conclusion: Although sociocultural indices of the respondents were poor; their intake of good nutrition and abstinence from nutrition taboos were satisfactory. Further studies are intended to objectively study the nutritional practices/taboos in pregnancy

Knowledge and Attitudes of Pregnant Mothers towards Maternal Dietary Practices During Pregnancy at the Etoug-Ebe Baptist Hospital Yaounde

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE. Poor dietary practices have been observed among the pregnant mothers receiving antenatal care services (ANC) at the Etoug-Ebe Baptist Hospital Yauonde (EBHY); despite routine nutrition education provided to these mothers and their apparent knowledge and approval of the importance of nutrition in pregnancy. We explored the nutritional knowledge and dietary practices of pregnant mothers receiving ANC at the EBHY in order to identify the correlation between their nutrition knowledge and dietary practices.MATERIALS AND METHODS. A cross sectional descriptive survey was done on 100 randomly selected pregnant mothers. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS computer package (Version 19.) Data comparison was done by Chi Square (?2) test with P 0.05 considered statistically significant and a 95 % confidence level (CI) computed.RESULTS. Sixty seven percent of mothers were married. Seventy one percent were literate; 51% had no stable jobs and 39% of their husbands were unemployed. Seventy one percent of respondents belonged to families with monthly income of less than 100;000FCFA and 56% of them had 5 or more household members. Ninety two percent of mothers had knowledge on good maternal nutrition before pregnancy. Seventy three percent of mothers cited the correct components of a balanced diet and their food sources (81%); however; 29% had aversion towards foods rich in protein and other important nutrients. Thirty eight percent of mothers knew that they should eat 3 main meals a day; but only 22% of them practiced it. Sixty five percent of mothers were aware that 'calaba chalk' (dry clay) was harmful and prohibited in pregnancy; yet 85% consumed it. Sixty eight percent did not have Knowledge about the risk of overfeeding in pregnancy. Sixty five percent had awareness that some foods items are potentially harmful in pregnancy but did not know what to avoid. Advanced maternal age; education level; parity and monthly family income were apparently positively associated with nutrition knowledge but there was no significant difference (p0.05).Cultures and taboos exempted mothers from eating meat from wild animals; chicken; sea fish; sweet things; food partly eaten by animals; sugar cane; mud fish and 'porrished' cocoyam.CONCLUSION. Pregnant mothers in Yaounde have satisfactory knowledge on adequate nutrition in pregnancy; but with significant gaps and difficulty in translating knowledge into practice. Maternal dietary habits are greatly influenced by hormonal changes in pregnancy; socio- economic status; food taboos and cultural beliefs; thus making it difficult to practice the nutrition advice they receive. Adequate multiple dietary supplementation should accompany nutrition advice as an integral part of ANC. Health policies that address cultural taboos should be instituted in favour of pregnancy nutrition

Comparative Weight Gain with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in Stunted HIV-Infected and -Uninfected Children in a Nigerian Hospital

Objective. To bridge the management gap between nutritional rehabilitation for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and chronic malnutrition; this study investigated to what extent ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) promotes growth in children with long-term nutrition deficit with superimposed SAM. Methods. A total of 225 (164 HIV-negative and 61 HIV-positive) chronically malnourished children (aged 6 - 60 months) with superimposed SAM were enrolled. Children were provided 92 g packets of an RUTF; Plumpy'Nut; based on an estimated requirement of 200 kcal/kg body weight (BW)/day. Children were fed Plumpy'Nut over a 2-week period; and weight was assessed weekly. Weight gain was compared for HIV-positive children and HIV-negative children.Results. On day 15; the HIV-positive group had a median weight gain of 645 g compared with 670 g in the HIV-negative group (difference 25 g; p=0.784). Similarly; rate of weight gain per kilogram BW per day was comparable for both groups of children (13.2 g/kg BW per day for HIV-negative children v. 11.9 g/kg BW per day for HIV-positive children; p=0.353). On day 15; the proportions of HIV-positive and HIV-negative children who had sustained weight gain were not significantly different. Conclusion. Chronically malnourished children with superimposed SAM benefit from the use of RUTF as much as children without chronic nutritional deprivation; regardless of HIV status

Introducing Solid Foods

There are recommendations to guide parents to help their infants make the transition from milk to weaning foods; but they differ in their focus in developed or developing countries and on the physiological and behavioural reasons that underlie the introduction of weaning foods. According to recommendations; ideally; term infants should begin weaning at six months; while breastfeeding should continue for two years. The recommendations on nutrients in complementary foods are based on the nutrient gap between the composition and volume of breast milk after approximately six months of exclusive breastfeeding and the physiology of infant nutritional requirements

Awareness of Pesticide Residues in Locally Available Food and Condiments among Food Sellers: a Case Study of Osun state; Nigeria

The specific objectives are: i) to determine the level of awareness of pesticide residue in locally available food among food sellers in Ile Ife area of Osun state; Nigeria; ii) to identify the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of food sellers who use pesticides; natural means in preserving their foodstuff from getting spoilt; iii) to determine the level of understanding of food sellers who use pesticides about the likely health implications that could result. The design of the study is cross sectional. Structured open-ended questionnaires were administered to 98 randomly selected food sellers in Ile Ife area Osun state; Nigeria. This includes males and female. The inference from the study shows that majority of the food sellers were between ages 21 and 30 years; suggesting that more of the young people are involved in the selling of foodstuff in the area of study. Most of the food sellers used phostozin; an organophosphate compound as preservatives for cereals. The majority of those that were aware of the health hazards associated with the usage of pesticides as preservative were literate school leavers. Among respondents to the questionnaire; it was expected that many of those food sellers likely to demonstrate caution in the usage of pesticide would be the literate school leavers. This is because they are more aware of the possible associated health hazards than their fellow food sellers who are not literate. The level of awareness of health implications associated with use of pesticides on consumable food items is higher among school certificate holders who are food sellers. Phostozin; an organophosphate; is a common preservative pesticide used on cereals foodstuff (e.g.; bean; rice; maize) in the area of study; especially among the age group between 21 and 30 years

Weight and household measures of cooked Nigerian staple foods according to calories

Diet therapy remains a cornerstone in the management of diabetes. Efforts must be made to lessen the difficulty experienced by diabetic patients in adhering to dietaryrestrictions. This study therefore determines the weight and household measures of cooked Nigerian staple foods per meal; according to different calorie needs. The daily calories required from carbohydrate food was based on 50of the daily calories required. Thus 50of each selected calorie level was estimated and distributed between the three main meals. The equivalent weight and household measures of each cooked staple food for each meal were estimated according to the different calories. It is expected that the cooked food weight and household measures of Nigerian staple food (as presented in this paper) will lessen the burden experienced in quantifying the cooked staple foods required by diabetic patients and other individuals requiring specific calories per day in Africa

Prevalence and Antibiotic-Resistance of Salmonella Isolated from Food in Morocco

Background: Salmonellosis remains one of the most frequent food-borne diseases worldwide; especially in developing countries. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isolates from food can potentially compromise the treatment of these infections. This investigation was conducted for the first time in Morocco both to detect the occurrence of Salmonella in foods as well as to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of the Salmonella isolates. Methodology: In total; 11;516 food samples collected from 2002 to 2005 were investigated. Isolated Salmonella were characterized by serotyping and susceptibilities were determined for 15 antimicrobial drugs using the disc diffusion assay. Results: The overall percentage of Salmonella prevalence (n=105) was 0.91with rates of 71for slaughterhouses and 9for seafood. Sixteen different serotypes were identified among 104 Salmonella enterica isolates including serotypes Infantis (n=25); Bredeney (n=13); Blokley (n=11); Typhimurium (n=9); Mbandaka (n=8); Branderup II (n=7); and Kiambu (n=6); 1 isolate of Salmonella enterica belonged to subspecies II salamae. Twenty-nine percent of isolates (n=30/105) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Resistance to tetracycline was the most common finding (21); followed by resistance to ampicillin (13); amoxicillin+clavulanic acid (9); streptomycin (7); chloramphenicol (4) and nalidixic acid (3;8). None of the isolates was resistant to 3rd-cephalosporin and fluoroquinolones (i.e. ciprofloxacin). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was seen in 9.5of the isolates; mainly in S. Typhimurium DT104 with R-type ACSSuT and S. Hadar. Conclusions: Despite a low frequency of Salmonella isolation; S. Typhimurium DT104 was identified in the first step of the food chain. The study points out the need control antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolated from food in Morocco to avoid the spread of MDR

Prevalence and Antibiotic-Resistance of Salmonella Isolated from Food in Morocco

Background: Salmonellosis remains one of the most frequent food-borne diseases worldwide; especially in developing countries. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isolates from food can potentially compromise the treatment of these infections. This investigation was conducted for the first time in Morocco both to detect the occurrence of Salmonella in foods as well as to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of the Salmonella isolates. Methodology: In total; 11;516 food samples collected from 2002 to 2005 were investigated. Isolated Salmonella were characterized by serotyping and susceptibilities were determined for 15 antimicrobial drugs using the disc diffusion assay. Results: The overall percentage of Salmonella prevalence (n=105) was 0.91with rates of 71for slaughterhouses and 9for seafood. Sixteen different serotypes were identified among 104 Salmonella enterica isolates including serotypes Infantis (n=25); Bredeney (n=13); Blokley (n=11); Typhimurium (n=9); Mbandaka (n=8); Branderup II (n=7); and Kiambu (n=6); 1 isolate of Salmonella enterica belonged to subspecies II salamae. Twenty-nine percent of isolates (n=30/105) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Resistance to tetracycline was the most common finding (21); followed by resistance to ampicillin (13); amoxicillin+clavulanic acid (9); streptomycin (7); chloramphenicol (4) and nalidixic acid (3;8). None of the isolates was resistant to 3rd-cephalosporin and fluoroquinolones (i.e. ciprofloxacin). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was seen in 9.5of the isolates; mainly in S.. Typhimurium DT104 with R-type ACSSuT and S. Hadar. Conclusions: Despite a low frequency of Salmonella isolation; S. Typhimurium DT104 was identified in the first step of the food chain. The study points out the need control antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolated from food in Morocco to avoid the spread of MDR

Food exchange lists of local foods in Nigeria

The aim or this study was to develop exchange lists for meal planning and for the assessment of food and nutrient intake of people with diabetes and other people requiring nutritional management in Nigeria. The carbohydrate (CHO) content of 100 g of each raw food samples was obtained from The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United States publication Food Composition Table for Use in Africa.1 Each raw food sample weighing 100 g was cooked using the standardised recipe to obtain the cooked weights. By using a kitchen scale and appropriate household food measures (evaporated milk tin, dessertspoons, and teaspoons), we quantified the cooked food sample that would yield 15 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, or 5 g of fat . In the case of fruits, biscuits, milk, and fat, the quantities of foods, were obtained directly from the FAO Food Composition Table. The result of the 15 g CHO of the staple foods ranged from a minimum of 30.0 g (1.5 thin slices) of bread to a maximum of 112.0 g (18 dessertspoons of cooked Ogi) within the cereal group; 38.0 g (1.5 medium size) of Irish potatoes (fried) to 81.0 g (2 dessertspoons) of cooked yam flour (amala) within the roots and tubers; 1dessertspoon of powdered milk to 128.0 g of unsweetened evaporated milk; 45.0 g of cowpea (akara seke) to 98.0 g of cowpea pudding (moinmoin) in Legumes; 0.75 g (medium size) of grapefruit to three large tangerines in fruits. The weight of the protein foods ranged from 28.0 g in beef or chicken to 112.0 g in cowpea pudding. These evaluated food values could serve as an aid for planning of meals and counselling diabetic patients on their diets in Nigeria