Development of a Millet-Sesame-Soy complementary food composite for rural communities

Complementary feeding still remains a challenge to many rural mothers in Uganda and Africa at large. Commercial complementary food formulae available on the market are too expensive and not easily accessible to poor people in developing countries who live mainly in rural areas. The use of locally available food resources to produce locally-adapted composites has been suggested as a potential option for complementary feeding in rural areas. This study experimented the feasibility of this option in Acholi Sub-region of Uganda using millet, sesame and soy. These food resources are locally available in the area and have nutritional values. Various combinations of millet, sesame and soy were compounded to produce complementary food formulae corresponding to energy content of 200, 300 and 550 Kcal for children of age category 6-8 month, 9-11 months, and 12-23 months, respectively. The combinations were processed into flour under village conditions. The flour formulae were reconstituted into porridge and evaluated for sensory attributes and acceptability among mothers and caregivers of children 6-23 months old to enable them select the most preferred formula for each energy category. Based on the results of overall acceptability evaluation, the community selected 92 % millet, 0.8% sesame, 7.2% soy (F13); 75 % millet, 10% sesame, 15% soy (F21); and 12.1% millet, 10% sesame, 77.9% soy (F31), as the most preferred formula for children aged 6-8 months, 9-11 months and 12-23 months, respectively. Laboratory analyses revealed that the selected formulae had energy and nutrient density within the recommended levels for complementary food formulae. Interestingly, mothers and caregivers who participated in the study expressed willingness to start using the formulae with immediate effect. Awareness campaigns are needed to extend the technology to the wider community in the sub-region. The results of this study demonstrate that use of locally available food resources to develop complementary formulae is indeed a feasible option for management of child undernutrition in rural areas.