Message-ID: <s2b14d87.022@jsi.com> Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 12:34:45 -0500 From: Benedict Tisa <mailto:benedict_tisa@JSI.COM> Subject: FORTIFICATION OF STREET FOODS PUBLICATION AVAILABLE To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
******OMNI NEWS FLASH********OMNI NEWS FLASH*******OMNI NEWS ************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************FORTIFICATION OF STREET FOODS EXPLORED IN NEW OMNI PUBLICATION
A new publication Street Foods in Developing Countries: The Potential for Micronutrient Fortification is now available for OMNI. The paper explores the possibility of delivering key micronutrients to urban populations through meals, snacks, and drinks retailed by street vendors.
In developing countries, street foods provide an affordable source of food to many sectors of the population, including students and the urban poor. Recognizing that micronutrient deficiencies are a major health problem in many developing countries, the paper examines whether street foods can be fortified with vitamin A, iron, or iodine to help alleviate micronutrient malnutrition.
The publication reviews the available research on street foods, the many varieties of street foods, country-specific ingredients, the methods used to process and prepare street foods, and the opportunities street foods present for fortification. It also examines ways n which street foods could be used to introduce new micronutrient-rich foods to consumers.
The document stresses that some form of processing is necessary for fortification of street foods to work. Ingredients that are centrally processed, such as flour and sugar, or processed foods retailed by vendors, such as corn chips and bottled beverages, provide the best opportunity for including fortified foods into the street food trade. A system to monitor the level of fortificant should also be in place.
The paper recommends that consumer consumption patters be studied to determine which populations eat street foods on a regular basis, what kind of foods are most popular, how much street food people routinely consume, and the role street foods play in the overall dietary intake of urban populations. It also recommends exploring nutritional issues such as food safety and nutrition education as well as the importance of street food vending to the economy.
A copy of this publication is available upon request from OMNI. **************************************************************************** OPPORTUNITIES FOR MICRONUTRIENT INTERVENTIONS (OMNI) is funded by the Office of Health and Nutrition of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, D.C. and managed by John Snow, Inc. OMNI's mission is accomplished by developing integrated, comprehensive programs and strategies to reduce and eliminate major micronutrient deficiencies throughout the developing world. Participating countries are based on their micronutrient malnutrition problems, commitment by local officials (public and private) to micronutrient activities, and their capacity to achieve and sustain a demonstrable impact.
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