Yasin Rahima, Padhani Zahra A, Mirani Mushtaque, Jamali Muhammad Khan, Memon Mahwish, Khatoon Sana, Rai Riya, Rahman Areeba, Attaullahjan Anushka, K Das Jai
Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Feb 3;5(2):e0003619. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003619. eCollection 2025.
This paper comprehensively investigates various aspects of dietary behaviors relating to the usage of wheat flour and sociocultural preferences embedded within rural communities and aims to bridge health gaps resulting from zinc deficiency by introducing zinc bio-fortified and fortified flour in Pakistan. A household and a market study was conducted in Ghotki and Tando Muhammad Khan districts in Sindh, Pakistan. Various stakeholders involved in the wheat-flour industry including farmers, seed suppliers, owners of atta-chakkis and flour mills, grocers and flour merchants, bakers and hoteliers, consumers, and agronomists were interviewed to gauge their knowledge of bio-fortified and fortified wheat-flour. Wheat-flour is a staple food item in Pakistan, however, agricultural output in Pakistan varies across all provinces. Factors that hinder agricultural productivity include a shortfall of essential resources such as irrigation water, superior quality seeds and fertilizers, and machinery. Farmers use primitive methods of farming as they do not have access to modern technologies, information, or training. Wheat flour market vendors and consumers lack awareness of bio-fortified and fortified wheat flour products and believe the only way to create a customer-base is by ensuring that fortified wheat products are available to all and competitively priced compared to traditional options. Additionally, participants misconstrue the process of fermentation and perceive it as unhealthy. The lack of financial resources and awareness restricts adequate promotion of nutrient-rich food products amongst stakeholders involved in the wheat flour industry. Mass awareness campaigns, education and government incentives could bridge the gaps present and encourage wider adoption of bio-fortified and fortified wheat flour. Policy makers and communities can draw on the recommendations made in this paper to introduce and promote zinc bio-fortified and zinc-fortified flour in settings where zinc deficiency is prevalent.
本文全面调查了与小麦粉使用相关的饮食行为的各个方面，以及农村社区中存在的社会文化偏好，并旨在通过在巴基斯坦引入锌生物强化面粉和强化面粉来缩小因锌缺乏导致的健康差距。在巴基斯坦信德省的戈特基和坦多·穆罕默德·汗地区开展了一项家庭和市场研究。对小麦粉行业的各类利益相关者，包括农民、种子供应商、磨粉厂和面粉厂老板、杂货店店主和面粉商人、面包师和酒店经营者、消费者以及农学家进行了访谈，以了解他们对生物强化和强化小麦粉的认知。小麦粉是巴基斯坦的主食，但巴基斯坦各省的农业产量各不相同。阻碍农业生产力的因素包括灌溉用水、优质种子和化肥以及机械等关键资源的短缺。农民采用原始的耕作方法，因为他们无法获得现代技术、信息或培训。小麦粉市场摊贩和消费者对生物强化和强化小麦粉产品缺乏认识，认为建立客户群的唯一途径是确保所有人都能买到强化小麦产品，且其价格与传统产品相比具有竞争力。此外，参与者对发酵过程存在误解，认为其不健康。缺乏资金和认识限制了在小麦粉行业利益相关者中对营养丰富食品的充分推广。大规模宣传活动、教育和政府激励措施可以弥合现有差距，并鼓励更广泛地采用生物强化和强化小麦粉。政策制定者和社区可以借鉴本文提出的建议，在锌缺乏普遍存在的地区引入和推广锌生物强化面粉和锌强化面粉。
