- Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiencies, occurs when the food quality does not meet our nutrient requirements.
- Malnutrition contributes to poor growth and physiological deficiencies in children.
Image: HANDOUT
Just how safe is the food that we eat? This question is peppering our conversations and has grown louder as more questions have arisen on the quality of water, food additives, fertilizers, packaging materials, and ingredients we use.
Concerns over the quality of food are both welcome and important because of the rising cases of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer, all linked to the foods we eat.
One area where conversations have not dominated as much is whether the food we eat has the right and enough micronutrients, the lack of which is the main cause of “hidden hunger”.
Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiencies, occurs when the food quality does not meet our nutrient requirements.
People who eat food with low levels of micronutrients are therefore not getting the essential vitamins and minerals they need for their growth and development. This is real and a significant challenge in Kenya.
Do you know that of the country’s 6.3 million children under five, 1.13 million are stunted (18%), 631,196 (10%) are underweight and 189,359 (3%) are overweight (Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022).
However, it can be noted that Kenya has made substantive progress in reducing the prevalence of stunting nationally, dropping from 26% in 2014 to 18% in 2022 (KDHS, 2022).
Micronutrient deficiencies remain a significant concern, with high rates of deficiencies in zinc, iron, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12, and iodine among various population groups.
For example, 83.3% of preschool children are zinc deficient, and iron deficiency affects 36.1% of pregnant women and 21.8% of children under five (KNMS, 2011). Additionally, the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is 4.1% nationally, with a much higher risk among children under five.
Malnutrition contributes to poor growth and physiological deficiencies in children, underdevelopment of brain, birth defects, high rates of disability and illness, and overall lower productivity, which can reduce a country’s economic performance.
Studies by the non-profit [PM2] organizations TechnoServe and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation additionally show that undernutrition is estimated that between 2010 and 2030 will cost Kenya approximately $38.3 billion in GDP due to losses in workforce productivity.
This is why food fortification is important because it boosts overall economic productivity in addition to tackling hidden hunger.
Fortification of foods has been identified as a silver bullet to address low micronutrient levels and this is why in 2012, a legislation was passed by Parliament to include mandatory fortification of all packaged maize flour, wheat flour, and edible fats and oils with specific vitamins and minerals.
This complemented the mandatory salt iodization initiative (1978) that has resulted in significant reduction of goiter in Kenya.
Over the last five years, a great improvement has been witnessed in the fortification of maize and wheat flour, the cornerstone of Kenyan diets (ugali and chapatis).
Since ugali and chapatis, staples in most households, are made from these flours, fortifying them directly improves the nutrition for millions.
However, it is important to note the consumption patterns in Kenya are rapidly changing with more people in urban areas, the Coastal and North Eastern region consuming rice.
In 2013, the per capita consumption of rice in Kenya was 12.5kg and it increased to 28kg by 2023, with the trend expected to continue to rise. Rice recipes in Kenya are abundant, easy to make, and offer various options for preparing and serving your rice.
These vary from fried rice, pilau, coconut rice, vegetable rice, rice madondo, among other signature rice based dishes of Kenya.
Data from the recently released Economic Survey 2024 shows that rice paddy production in 2023 increased to 229,064 tonnes, a 19.1 percent growth from 192,299 tonnes in 2022, attributed to expanded areas under irrigation.
This is a deliberate effort by the government to reduce over-dependence on rice imports.
It is important to note that rice is the third most important cereal in Kenya, after maize and wheat.
The production output is commendable and it shows that as a country we are making progress towards closing the yawning gap between local demand for rice which stands at between tonnes per year, and local production which has now reached a five-year high.
Additionally, disruptions to global supply chains e.g. the ongoing war in Ukraine or the prolonged drought we experienced in 2023 means that alternatives like rice will become the norm. This makes rice a suitable food vehicle for delivering micronutrients of public health concern, in addition to maize and wheat flour.
Consequently, to maximize the impact of food fortification in Kenya, we must extend our focus to rice. This will ensure a wider net is cast, capturing more Kenyans and providing them with the essential nutrients they need to thrive.
The good news is that millers have begun fortifying rice in addition to maize, wheat flour, salt iodization, and edible oils giving more Kenyans more access to nutritious meals.
This will in turn reduce the health burden related to micronutrient related diseases.
Consumers on their part have a role to play by demanding and opting for brands that are fortified, as a means of increasing their palate on healthy diets.
If we achieve higher compliance in food fortification we will achieve a healthier and more economically productive country.
Prof. Daniel Ndaka Sila is an Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science and Technology at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya.