ß-carotene losses due to handling and cooking in Kenyan leafy vegetables connote no comparative nutritional superiority over kales.

African leafy vegetables (ALVs) are known to be high in ß-carotene content and are preferred over kales due to this nutritional superiority. Ten different vegetables were collected from farm and market locations and analyzed for ß-carotene content. Cooked vegetables (in single or in combination) as well as solar dried samples were prepared by the community members in the study area in the usual way and without any instruction or conditions given. ß-carotene content was analyzed using a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results provided new representative ß-carotene content of the fresh, marketed, cooked and dried vegetables without controlling or simulating the household handling or processing methods in a laboratory. While edible portions of kales are relatively inferior as a ß-carotene source as compare to ALVs when in raw form, this is not the case at market place where kales exhibit comparable level of the ß-carotene. As much as 280 µRE/100 g (a dietarily significant amount) can be lost through ß-carotene oxidation before farm-fresh ALVs are sold in the market place with the losses severe in some ALVs and only subtle and relatively lower in kales. Post-cooking, kales had statistically comparable ß-carotene content to ALVs save for when compared with purple amaranths and blacknight shade. Due to losses experienced in ALVs, kales are not comparatively inferior vegetables in terms of ß-carotene content. Measures to prevent ß-carotene losses in ALVs between the farm and market, during cooking and drying should be instituted in order to benefit from their high ß-carotene content.

Planting seeds for the future of food.

The health and wellbeing of future generations will depend on humankind's ability to deliver sufficient nutritious food to a world population in excess of 9 billion. Feeding this many people by 2050 will require science-based solutions that address sustainable agricultural productivity and enable healthful dietary patterns in a more globally equitable way. This topic was the focus of a multi-disciplinary international conference hosted by Nestlé in June 2015, and provides the inspiration for the present article. The conference brought together a diverse range of expertise and organisations from the developing and industrialised world, all with a common interest in safeguarding the future of food. This article provides a snapshot of three of the recurring topics that were discussed during this conference: soil health, plant science and the future of farming practice. Crop plants and their cultivation are the fundamental building blocks for a food secure world. Whether these are grown for food or feed for livestock, they are the foundation of food and nutrient security. Many of the challenges for the future of food will be faced where the crops are grown: on the farm. Farmers need to plant the right crops and create the right conditions to maximise productivity (yield) and quality (e.g. nutritional content), whilst maintaining the environment, and earning a living. New advances in science and technology can provide the tools and know-how that will, together with a more entrepreneurial approach, help farmers to meet the inexorable demand for the sustainable production of nutritious foods for future generations.

Mother's health seeking behaviour during child illness in a rural western Kenya community.

BACKGROUND: In most developing countries, the health of the children is strongly dependant on maternal healthcare behaviour. The study describes the prevalence of illness among preschool children in a rural sugarcane growing community and the mother's health seeking behavior. OBJECTIVES: To document the presence of illness among preschool children at household level in a rural community in Western Kenya and also determine the mother's health seeking behavior during the course of these illnesses. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional community survey using interview schedules, key informants and focus group discussions and Makunga Rural Health Center in Kakamega District western Kenya. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. RESULTS: Fifty two percent of the children had had at least one illness a week prior to the survey. Fever was the most commonly reported symptom with 48% of the cases. A third (32.4%) of the mothers purchased and administered drugs to their sick children without seeking medical attention. The most commonly reported reasons for this behavior were: the government health facilities were at a distance, the services are poor and inability to afford services at the private hospitals and clinics. CONCLUSION: Intervention programmes focusing on diversification of income sources, maternal education and community based mobile clinics are likely to contribute towards improved health of children in this and any other rural sugarcane growing community.

Contemporary African food habits and their nutritional and health implications.

Food is fundamental to human survival, in more than just one way. First, food is basic for averting hunger and maintaining health for every human being. Secondly, food satisfies our palate and makes us happy and emotionally and socially content. Third, food constitutes a form of cultural expression. The food we eat should be safe, palatable, affordable, and of the quality that can maintain mental, emotional, physiologic and physical health. Even with globalization that has seen food movements to and from different parts of the world, for most populations in Africa, food is still very locale-specific, especially in the rural farming areas where it is produced. Many locally produced foods have both nutritional and intrinsic value. The types of foods produced in Western Africa are very different from those produced in Eastern Africa. The staple foods, vegetables and the drinks that go with these foods are different. The way food is prepared is also very different in the two parts of Africa. Cultural specificity appears to be more pronounced in Western Africa, involving more secondary processing in the home and more spicing. Data linking food to health, as something that is understood by traditional communities is not easily available. This paper will collate information that discusses people's perceptions in both Western and Eastern Africa, and try to draw comparisons between the two. The paper presents a community picture of food, nutrition and health.

Effect of traditional fermentation and malting on phytic acid and mineral availability from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana) grain varieties grown in Kenya.

Sorghum and finger millet grains are traditional staple foods in Kenya. However, they have naturally occurring anti-nutritional factors, such as phytic acid, that decrease their dietary availability. This work determined the effect of fermentation and malting on the phytic acid content of, and mineral availability in five varieties of sorghum and four varieties of finger millet grain grown in Kenya. Phytic acid ranged from 875.1 to 2,211.9 mg/100 g in sorghum. The levels in finger millet ranged from 851.6 to 1,419.4 mg/100 g grain. Fermentation resulted in a mean decrease of phytic acid in of 64.8% after 96 hours and 39.0% after 72 hours in sorghum grain. In finger millet, there was a mean decrease of 72.3% and 54.3% after 96 and 72 hours, respectively. Malting also resulted in a mean decrease of 23.9 and 45.3% after 72 and 96 hours, respectively. The extent of decrease of phytic acid differed among the grain varieties. Fermentation increased the rate of available iron, manganese, and calcium in both sorghum and finger millet. The available minerals were generally higher in finger millet than in sorghum after fermentation. Fermentation was also more effective than malting in reducing phytic acid in sorghum and finger millet. Simple traditional food processing methods can therefore be used to increase mineral availability.