Fortified bouillon cubes seen as a way to curb malnutrition in Africa as climate worsens hunger

(17 Sep 2024)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ota, Ogun State – 12 September 2024
1. Various of fortified bouillon cube production

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria – 14 September 2024
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Augustine Okoruwa, Regional Director, Food Fortification, Hellen Keller International: ++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH CUTAWAYS FROM SHOT 1++
"It’s really very important because, as of today, we have micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria, what we call ‘hidden hunger’. So one way, one strategical approach to addressing this is through adding these micronutrients to the food that they eat.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria – 13 September 2024
3. Ibadan resident Idowu Bello and her daughter buying soup items in market
4. Mid of cowskin seller
5. SOUNDBITE (Yoruba) Idowu Bello, Ibadan resident: ++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH SHOT 6++
"Those protein-rich meals, like fish, meat, are very expensive in the market and hard to find and when we eventually find them, they are too pricey for one to afford because of the cost of transporting it to the market."
6. Idowu preparing white seed melon soup
7. Idowu stirring food in pot
STORYLINE:
Authorities in Nigeria are this week launching a code of standards for adding four micronutrients – iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12 – to bouillon or stock cubes at levels advised by experts in order to achieve large-scale food fortification to combat malnutrition.

The small blocks of concentrated seasoning used to flavour soups and stews are universally consumed in many African countries, nearing 100% household penetration in countries like Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon.

That makes them the “most cost-effective way” to reach millions, particularly those at the bottom, worst hit by malnutrition, with minerals and vitamins, according to Dr. Augustine Okoruwa, who manages Hellen Keller International’s work on food fortification across African countries.

After shopping at her local market, Idowu Bello leans over a gas cooker In her cramped, dimly lit kitchen, stirring a pot of eba, the thick, starchy West African staple made from cassava.

On the menu today: eba, and melon soup with ponmo – a less expensive condiment that is made by boiling burnt cowhide.

The 56-year-old, her face etched with worry, says the fortified bouillon cubes will help people like her, who can’t afford to buy basic proteins.

Doctors say consumption of more nutrient-rich items can improve Bello’s health, and that of her teenage daughter, Fatima.

Bello, forced to retire from public service due to weakening health, has had to cope with less preferred foods and limiting portion size, a common pattern among many Nigerian households.

Large-scale food fortification unlocks a new way to “increase micronutrients in the food staples of low-income countries to create resilience for vulnerable families,” according to the Gates Foundation.

Food fortification is not new in Nigeria.

Most of the salt consumed in the country is iodized and other items such as wheat flour, edible oil, and sugar are fortified with vitamin A by law.

But fortification of bouillon with four vitamins and minerals is the most comprehensive fortification regulation to date.

AP video by Dan Ikpoyi

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