Staple food fortification for malnourished children and pregnant women in Northern Ghana.

Abstract

Most people in rural Africa and other developing countries take in food that is not sufficiently rich in nutrient. The reason for this deficiency is because of poverty, specifically lack of money to buy proper dietary food or ignorant in consuming the right nutritional food is of concerned. This phenomenon had led to many health problems such as anemia, night blindness, high maternal mortality rate, brain damage and the rest. Many people in Northern Ghana are deficient in micro-nutrient intake, particularly children and pregnant women. The quickest and cost effective way is through the fortification process. The White maize flour which is the staple food for people living in Northern Ghana can be increased by missing with a premix (Super cereal Plus). The fortification process was carried with a low cost technology of Hand Operated Mixer Machine. A 0.0175:50 kg premix-white maize flour was estimated to be the standard nutrition needed by malnourished children and pregnant women. Homogeneous of the food fortification was achieved with the Hand Operated Mixer Machine, however, attention must be given on modification of the machine, particularly for ease of operation and at a lower cost.