School feeding program in Guatemala: technology transfer to artisan bakers, producers of the nutritionally improved cookie

The Ministry of Education of Guatemala requested from the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), the development of a solid food for delivery to school children who attend the official schools throughout the country. INCAP developed and transferred the processing technology to produce a nutritionally improved cookie to artisan bakers from the different regions of the country. The present paper describes the technological process, focusing on the training, supervision and quality control actions executed with approximately 100 micro baking enterprises, in 1988 and 1989. These actions have had a positive impact on the bakeries, a fact evidenced by the significant improvement of the conditions and processes of the nutritionally improved cookie production. The performance of the above-mentioned activities has allowed us to detect necessities, for the solution of which research and development of technologies are most important for their immediate transference to artisan bakers. Nevertheless, it is necessary to monitor and control the transferred technology, and efforts must continue to increase the effectiveness of the whole system which involves technology transference model, created for this project.     

Synopsis of the Seminar on Breast Feeding Promotion in Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Isla Contadora, Panama, 1983

The most recent and reliable information on the status of breast-feeding in Central América, Panama and the Dominican Republic indicates that during the last decades, in all of these countries there has been a decrease in the prevalence and duration of breast-feeding. In some of them, this situation would seem to be reverting. Considering the importance that breast-feeding has on children's health and nutrition, the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), organized a Regional Seminar on the Promotion of Breast-feeding, which was held in Contadora Island, Panama, in April, 1983. Based on the discussions of the working groups, sectoral and integrated recommendations were formulated for the purpose of promoting breast-feeding. This document contains specific recommendations for each of the sectors represented in the Seminar.     

Information systems design for development projects in Central America.

Present development projects in Central America, particularly food aid and food and nutrition education programs, are operating under severe management constraints which limit their potential to produce positive and measurable impacts on target communities and families. Thus, operational analysis and information systems are basic managerial tools to improve the efficiency of the projects. This paper presents an information system development methodology which has been used by the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) to assist different development projects of Central America. The methodology is geared on the one hand, towards systematizing the definition of the demand and of applications and, on the other, of the types of response required or deemed convenient, taking into account the technologies that are appropriate to the users' various capacities. The complete development cycle is based on good understanding of the social, organizational and human aspects of the project. Through the whole process, not only is the information system being developed and documented, but personnel is being trained and assisted in solving their problems, contributing thereby, to true transfer of technology. No new set of techniques of systems development is presented. What has been done is to carefully select elements of current technical practices, modifying tools and techniques to generate a unique methodology through which the information systems' requirements, specifications, and details may be expressed.     

What’s holding up the introduction of soya into the human diet in Latin America?

The introduction of soya into the human diet in Latin American countries suffers the same problem as foods with similar characteristics. The private industry soon finds that it is much easier to put “fun foods” into the market than it is to try to enrich a product and advertise the fact. Getting involved with the “heavy” subject of nutrition means having difficulties with the health authorities. There seems to be no national nutrition program working in Latin America that is truly effective in alleviating malnutrition. Causes for failure of programs are: substantial funding is spent in research, scientists work hard to solve malnutrition, then someone or something actively opposes introducing new soya technologies or there is an effective argument that a national program cannot be based on imported products. With a world population of 4,000 million and growing at a daily rate of 200,000, food and nutrition must have top priority in national planning.     

Experiences with early weaning of calves in Central America

This study presents a review of traditional feed calves systems used in Central American specialized dairy farms. The systems discussed are considered costly, due to the high quantity of milk and concentrate required, besides causing shortage of milk for human consumption. The early weaning calf system developed by INCAP is also discussed, as well as its implementation with slight modifications oriented towards the application of research findings to achieve a reduction of the milk volume commonly used in the traditional rearing system. The development of appropriate concentrate formulations for animals of that age, using local feed ingredients, is also presented.     

LATINFOODS

Food Composition Tables should be considered as national wealth and as valuable tools for utilization in food and nutrition, in nutritional therapy, in agricultural planning and production, in food guides, and in the food industry for the formulation of information on the product that appears in the label. They should, therefore, be considered as national wealth because they chemically describe the food resources of a country at a very high price, and are considered valuable tools due to their multiple applications. The countries present Tables were published between 1935 and 1961, with analytical data available at that time. So far the Tables have met their purpose, but due to changes that have occurred in raw materials, in analytical methodology, in the new knowledge acquired in nutrition, and in the relationships between food and diseases, in November 1986, representative groups of the Latin American and the Caribbean countries decided to create LATINFOODS. The objective of the program is to promote the development of data banks of foods of the Latin American countries, creating national multidisciplinary groups interested in data production, compilement, publication and utilization, and that eventually, may be homogeneously united to form a data bank for Latin America and the Caribbean Region. During the meeting in favor of the creation of LATINFOODS, detection was made of the constraints of the Food Composition Tables now used as well as the measures needed to correct such problems. These included the number of samples collected as well as the analytical methods used, and the number of nutrients. Due to the observed increase in production and distribution of new food products by the food industry, and to the increased association between foods and diseases, the food industry must participate not only in the generation of data, but in their utilization for food identification, nutrient contribution and nutritional education. Likewise, academic programs in Food Technology should extend the concepts of Food Science with special emphasis on food nutrient contents, to reach an adequate nutritional and health status for the Latin American population.     

Nutritional role of soya protein for humans

This paper reviews the role played by soya protein in human nutrition on the basis of protein quality, energy and protein densities, and availability of trace minerals. The importance of supplementation with methionine was analyzed and it was concluded that there is little nutritional or public health justification for such supplementation when the intake of protein is adequate. The use of refatted soy products has good potential to increase the dietary concentrations of protein and energy, which may be particularly important for children in developing countries and for the elderly or other persons with limited dietary intakes and digestive capacity. Investigations based on chemical balance and on the use of stable isotopes indicate that the iron from soybean is well absorbed by humans, as are inorganic iron and zinc in the presence of soy protein. Soybeans and properly processed soy products have a good protein quality, and when fed in adequate amounts, they can satisfy the total nitrogen and essential amino acid needs of children and adults. Further research related to soy products should be directed mainly toward establishing their overall nutritional value as part of mixed diets or food systems, and not just assess their protein quality. Assessing the protein quality of soy products may be required when major processing modifications are made in the manufacture of soy products for human consumption. INCAP Publication #I-1145.     

Description of a methodology to identify and quantify groups of poor and malnourished families in the Republic of Panama

The methodology used to identify and quantify existing data on the magnitude of nutrition and health damage in different political-administrative areas and families of Panama, is described. The purpose of the present paper is to orient governmental actions of the social field toward the most affected areas and families facing food and nutrition problems. The existing information sources used were the National Nutrition Survey carried out in 1980, the National Census on School Children's Height, of 1980, and the Vital Statistics of 1982. A score determined according to the expected data reliability was applied, by district, to the preschool height retardation data of the 1980 survey, to the data compiled through the school children's height retardation census of 1982 and to the infant and one-to-four year-old children's mortality data. The districts with the highest health and nutrition damage received the lowest score. Following this procedure, 28 districts, 204 "corregimientos" and six priority family groups were selected for social action. The usefulness of this procedure to orient governmental resources toward the poor and malnourished populations is discussed, as well as the technical possibility of carrying it out, on periodical bases, in order to orient program planning and know the impact they have on health and nutrition of the population.     

Changes in the patterns of food consumption in Latin America

Food consumption patterns have suffered important although not generalized changes in recent years. A series of factors favor these changes, such as variations in family income, rural-urban migration, increase of tertiary activities related to foods, and exposure to commercial propaganda. All of these factors, when compared among them, do not have the same impact or validity. Thus, while the first two induce changes in the food pattern, the last two guide the consumer to certain food products. Modernization of the food pattern in Latin America and the Caribbean has been inspired by the USA food pattern of the previous decade, which from the nutritional and economic points of view, does not prove to be desirable. The average USA diet is rich in both saturated and mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as in refined sugar and all types of additives. It is poor in carbohydrates, particular in those of the complex type; most of its protein is of animal origin. It may also be rich in salt and poor in fiber, as it is made up by well-diversified industrialized foods in their presentation, manufactured and marketed by a highly industrialized production-distribution capitalized structure. The adopted model is not in correspondence with out countries' natural resources; it produces a displacement of the consumption patterns based on autochthonous and/or traditional components, and induces an increase in food imports. Since Latin American countries are of poor economic resources, and the model renders expensive products, these are absorbed by the socioeconomic group able to pay for them and/or--intermittently--as a high-cost product by calorie delivered, by the poor groups who are most in need, a situation which would imply serious damage on the quality and quantity of their diet. Changes in food habits and in food consumption patterns are related to a certain socio-demographic process which cannot be stopped. Consequently, this process should be carefully analyzed and understood in order to contribute to channel it in the best possible manner and to protect the food and nutritional situation of the consumer. The expert in nutrition should therefore play an important role in those tasks of public benefit, fundamentally in the areas of regulation and normalization of the quality of new foods, as well as in the diffusion of information and education, at all levels, of the consumer.     

The mapping information system: an experience in the development of appropriated software for analysis and presentation of information

The mapping system (SIMAP), is an experience of the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama in developing an appropriate software (programs) for information needs of the countries of the Central American Isthmus. Through its main characteristics: geographic association, easy use, flexible and versatile, SIMAP is a tool that can easily be used for decision-making in the different sectors. The system's main modules are presented in this article as well as some applications where the SIMAP would serve as support in the analysis and interpretation of information.     

Fatty acid profile of high consumption foods by school population of the region Metropolitan of Chile, including trans fatty acid content

The Chilean school population has shown remarkable changes in their eating habits, incorporating high fat content foods to their diet, which could explain the current high obesity rates. A great proportion of these foods uses industrial fats whit high content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and potentially contains trans fatty acids (TFA) as a result of partial oil hydrogenation or as a natural form in ruminant animals fat. The purpose of this investigation was to determine fatty acid profile, including trans fatty acids, from food consumed by the Metropolitan Region school population. A food consumption survey was applied to 203 Metropolitan Region of Chile school-children, which consisted of questions about food consumption frequency and consumer preferences. Based on the results, ten types of food products were selected. Fat content, fatty acids profile, including trans fatty acid, were determinate by GLC according to the UNE 5509 Norm. Each analysis was carried out in duplicate and three samplings were performed. It was found that a great percentage of the analyzed foods showed low TFA content (<1%). However, some of them presented remarkable saturated fatty acids content, generating a PUFA/SFA ratio with poor fat nutritional quality. The low TFA concentration found in the food may be explained by a decrease in the use of hydrogenated fats, following PAHO/WHO recommendation, which are being applied in Chile.     

Evaluation of a teaching program of nutrition in agronomy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a set of teaching materials on food, nutrition and agriculture, adapted at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, within the scope of a project with AID and the School of Agronomy of the Chilean Catholic University (U. C.) aimed at incorporating the teaching of human nutrition into the curriculum of Latin American agronomists. A one semester course (54 hours) was given to 22 students of the 7th semester of Agronomy and two Ecuatorian agronomists (with AID scholarships). A set of knowledge evaluation instruments was applied at the beginning and at the end of the course. A total of 83.3% of the students passed the final examination (with more than 75% of correct answers). The difference between the initial and final performance was highly significant (p less than 0.001). According to the students' and teachers' opinions, the general textbook and the teachers book contributed effectively to meet the learning objectives whereas the students handbook needed some modifications. In conclusion, the program is an important contribution to the education of agronomists in a new conception of their role in regard to improvement of the nutritional status and quality of life of the rural population. With a few minor modifications, a final version to be used in the countries of the Region, shall soon become available.     

Appropriate technologies in food: conceptual framework for their generation and transfer in Central America and Panama]

A conceptual framework is presented, expressing the relationship between food availability and the food and nutritional status of a population. As element of the model, the generation and transfer of appropriate food technologies were included. Based on the conceptual framework, three successful cases of food technology transfer in the Central American area were analyzed. The most important aspects of each case were identified, and a critical review of the characteristics and conditions required to generate and transfer appropriate technologies, was carried out. An inventory was made of those factors which are essential for a food technology to be appropriate; this analysis resulted in the postulation of a model describing the life cycle of appropriate food technologies. On these bases, several guidelines are postulated, which could constitute a conceptual framework to help guide actions in the generation and transference of appropriate food technologies in Central America and Panama. Essential elements of the proposed framework are: identification and characterization of the problem of the group of "users" of the technology; problem solution by a multidisciplinary group; test of the technology and evaluation of its feasibility (technical, economical, political, social and cultural), and controlled transference to the group of "users".     

食品专业实验室资源的开放与综合利用

针对食品专业实验室资源共享、实验室开放、信息交流等方面的现状和存在的问题进行了初步探讨,结合专业教学实际情况,提出食品专业实验室的开放与综合利用的思路,旨在提高食品专业实验室使用效能,使食品专业实验室在教学科研中更好地发挥作用。     

浅谈食品化学与人类健康

“民以食为天”,随着人民生活水平不断提高,人们关心食品不仅仅是“食以果腹”,更多地是关心食品的营养、安全卫生、贮藏、综合利用等问题。本文在描述“食品化学”的定义的基础上,说明食品化学在食品安全、打击伪劣食品、食用产品加工质量、食品资源的综合利用中所起的作用,论述了食品化学对人类健康的重要性。     

Nuclear and isotopic techniques application used in supporting nutritional studies in Latin America countries

The global nutrition community recognizes the usefulness of nuclear and isotopic techniques and especially stable isotopes for accurate measurements in key areas of human nutrition and health. Although progress has been made in many Latin America countries in reducing the absolute number of undernourished people, food policy and public health communities have to face the double burden on health. On one side they have to address the prevention of obesity and on the other side they are trying to reduce undernutrition. However, to be successful in development of sustainable nutrition programs, a combination of relevant scientific knowledge and approaches that are practical is required to assure even a reasonable level of success. The objectives of this review are to highlight the role of isotopic techniques in nutritional studies and to review the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in supporting nutrition interventions in Latin America countries.     

Nutrition in the sport practice: adaptation of the food guide pyramid to the characteristics of athletes diet

In spite of all the advances in sport nutrition and the importance of an adequate food intake in order to improve sport performance, both recreational and professional athletes forget frequently to include planning an optimum diet and fluid intake in their global strategy for performance. Physiological and metabolic adaptations produced as a consequence of physical exercise lead to the necessity of increasing caloric (in accordance to energy output) and protein (based on the trophic needs of the organism) intake. Likewise, paying major attention to vitamin and mineral intake, specifically B vitamins and zinc and chromium, is required, in order to optimize carbohydrate metabolism, the ultimate limiting factor for sport performance. During the training phase, 60% of calories should come from carbohydrates, protein intake should be 1.2-2 g/kg/day and athletes should follow the recommendations of the food guide pyramid. During the pre-, per- and post-competition phase the healthy aspect of the diet passes to a second level, in order to obtain good sport performance and to guarantee a fast and effective recovery. Again, carbohydrates with a high or medium glycaemic index and water are the nutrients which have to be calculated more thoroughly. In conclusion, athletes have to follow a diet that is adequate to their higher energy output and to their higher metabolic turnover. The food guide pyramid is a graphic expression which facilitates the comprehension and following of a healthy diet. In the present article, the authors introduce the pyramid adapted to the characteristics of sports nutrition, with easy-to-follow practical recommendations regarding the kind and amounts of foodstuffs that should be consumed in order to cover nutrient needs of people who exercise regularly.     

Soybean products for feeding infants,children and adults under nutritional stress

This review points out the good quality of well-processed soya products. Normal infants, children and adults are able to utilize the protein and other nutrients present in the soya, when fed these products in amounts that will cover their needs. Under nutritional stress, such as in infant malnutrition, soya products such as soya-milk have been shown to help in the children’s recovery. Clinical and biochemical data show that their recovery is similar to that obtained with cow’s milk. Milk- or lactose-intolerant children and adults, who present a public health problem in some developing countries, could benefit from the high nutritive value and low cost of soy milk. Soya products have been shown to decrease cholesterol and other levels of blood lipids. Considering the availability of the several soya products in the market, this possibility has to be further explored. The utilization of soya products in preparing liquid formulas for oral or tube-feeding opens new fields for the treatment of several diseases, insuring at the same time adequate nutrition for the patients. From a practical point of view, in spite of all that is known about soybeans and soybean products, its use as human food, even in countries where it is produced in large quantities, is very low. It seems that local governments are not aware of the importance of soya for the solution to their serious food and nutrition problems. What is known on the subject has to leave the laboratories, research centers and universities and be transferred as food for the mouths of the needy populations. This has to be understood as an urgent duty of national governments. There is no doubt that soya is the cheapest and one of the best-quality foods available to help solve the present hunger problem of the world today.     

Fortification and enrichment of foods: considerations on their use for achieving nutritional goals

The diet should, ideally, provide adequate amounts of all nutrients. The traditional foods of many Latin American countries, however, must be fortified or enriched with certain nutrients to satisfy the needs of the whole population. These measures should be considered as temporary, until improvements are achieved in dietary diversification, economic conditions, nutrition education and food processing and storage. Restoration of nutrients lost during cooking or processing and equalization of new foods with the nutrients present in traditional foods, are also important. Conditions for a successful program of fortification or enrichment include a widespread and regular intake of the dietary vehicle, high bioavailability of the added nutrient, low costs of the nutrient and the fortified vehicle, central processing, organoleptic characteristics that ensure acceptability, stability of the product during storage and cooking, no risk of toxicity, and adequate control during the process, distribution, marketing and consumption of the fortified vehicle or food. Control measures must be supported by legal sanctions to those who do not comply with the norms for obligatory fortification or enrichment. Control measures must also identify the necessary modifications due to changes in dietary habits or public health interventions. In Latin America there are fortification and enrichment programs with various nutrients in which local diets are scarce. Many Latin American scientists have been pioneers in this field.     

Development of the potash fertilizer industry

Potassium (K) salts were first mined commercially in Germany in 1861 after Liebig's doctrine of mineral nutrition had demonstrated the need for K as a valuable fertilizer nutrient. Use of potash as a crop fertilizer was slow to develop, however. For example, only about 90000 short tons of K₂O yr^?1 were being used in US agricultural production by 1900. When the US became involved in World War I and its supply of potash was cut off, the price jumped from $50 to $500 ton^?1. This triggered an intensive search for North American potash. In the following decades, the industry was developed in the US, Soviet Union, Canada and several other countries. In 1935 the American Potash Institute was formed to develop the agricultural market for potash. Today the Potash & Phosphate Institute continues with market development programs worldwide.