Laswai H S, Tetens I
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2000;55(3):185-205. doi: 10.1023/a:1008116015796.
About 50% of young children in Tanzania suffer from protein-energy undernutrition (PEU) while more than 45% of children under the age of five suffer from various micronutrient deficiency disorders. The immediate cause of these conditions is inadequate intake and poor utilization of nutrients, which begins in the weaning period and amplifies in the subsequent years. This study was conducted to assess the potential of some home made and commercial weaning foods commonly consumed in Tanzania to supply adequate amounts of both macro- and micronutrients as recommended in the Tanzania and FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Standards for cereal/milk-based weaning foods. Six types of home made weaning foods, maize, cassava, millet, sorghum and millet-sardine-peanut composite gruels and plantain pap, and four types of commercial weaning foods, Cerelac- 1, Cerelac-2, Lactogen-1 and Lactogen-2, popularly consumed in Tanzania, were chemically assayed for proximate composition, energy and mineral density. Results of the study indicated that, both the home made and commercial weaning foods were good sources of macro- and micronutrients. When compared with the Codex Alimentarius and Tanzania Bureau of Standards specifications for weaning foods, both home made and commercial weaning foods had some shortcomings in terms of nutrient composition and energy balance. Many of the foods were low in fat. Fe, Ca, Zn and P but high in crude fiber, carbohydrate and magnesium. Ca, Fe and Zn were the most common deficient macro/micronutrients in the home made weaning foods. In spite of these shortcomings, most of the home made and commercial weaning foods were nutritionally sound since they could provide reasonable percentages of the recommended daily allowances for macro/micronutrients and energy. It is suggested that, more efforts must be directed towards increasing the concentration of Ca, Fe and Zn in the home made weaning foods through supplementation of the starchy staples with mineral rich foods. Meanwhile, the parents, caretakers and health workers should be educated on the selection and preparation of nutritious, balanced weaning foods and good weaning practices.
坦桑尼亚约50%的幼儿患有蛋白质能量营养不良（PEU），而超过45%的五岁以下儿童患有各种微量营养素缺乏症。这些状况的直接原因是营养摄入不足和利用不佳，这种情况始于断奶期，并在随后几年加剧。本研究旨在评估坦桑尼亚常见的一些自制和商业断奶食品，按照坦桑尼亚以及粮农组织/世卫组织食品法典委员会关于谷物/牛奶基断奶食品的标准，供应足够数量的常量和微量营养素的潜力。对坦桑尼亚普遍食用的六种自制断奶食品，即玉米、木薯、小米、高粱以及小米-沙丁鱼-花生复合粥和车前草糊，和四种商业断奶食品，即雀巢婴儿米粉1号、雀巢婴儿米粉2号、力多精1号和力多精2号，进行了近似成分、能量和矿物质密度的化学分析。研究结果表明，自制和商业断奶食品都是常量和微量营养素的良好来源。与食品法典委员会和坦桑尼亚标准局的断奶食品规格相比，自制和商业断奶食品在营养成分和能量平衡方面都存在一些不足。许多食品脂肪、铁、钙、锌和磷含量低，但粗纤维、碳水化合物和镁含量高。钙、铁和锌是自制断奶食品中最常见的缺乏常量/微量营养素。尽管存在这些不足，但大多数自制和商业断奶食品在营养方面是合理的，因为它们能够提供常量/微量营养素和能量推荐每日摄入量的合理百分比。建议通过用富含矿物质的食物补充淀粉类主食，加大力度提高自制断奶食品中钙、铁和锌的含量。同时，应教育家长、看护人和卫生工作者如何选择和制作营养均衡的断奶食品以及良好的断奶方法。
