• Currently, the details about the contents of the food are put at the back of the pack which goes unread by most caregivers.
• Dr Mary Mwale said the fortification mark is on the front while the back of pack gives details of what is contained in the food but most of the time is in ineligible format.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Manufacturers of commercially processed complimentary foods will soon be required to indicate nutritional value of their products on the packets.
Kenya is now working on having guidelines that will ensure all foods to be given to babies after the age of six months have clear front package labeling.
This is after a concern that some manufactures were taking advantage of the gap to sell foods used by caregivers during the weaning phase and which might be harmful to children as they grow.
Currently, the details about the contents of the food are put at the back of the pack which goes unread for most caregivers.
Complementary feeding occurs when children receive foods to complement breast milk or infant formula.
Ideally, it begins at six months and continues to 24 months or beyond, reflecting the World Health Organisation's recommendations for exclusive and continued breastfeeding.
Dr Mary Mwale on Friday acknowledged that in the wake of growing urbanisation, there is a lot of processed food in the market.
Mwale is a food security specialist and the Head of Food Security and Nutrition at the State Department for Crop Development at the Ministry of Agriculture.
She called on caregivers to have a small kitchen garden where they can introduce small qualities of food that can be able to compliment the foods they are giving to their child.
The government has been working with the private sector because they are the ones who drive the process of getting food to the table so that they are guided on how to handle the food from the far to the market and to the shelves.
Mwale noted that the fortification mark is on the front while the back of pack gives details of what is contained in the food but most of the time is in ineligible format so most people don’t get to read the contents of the food.
“The government is working towards introducing a front of pack to provide extra information to mothers so that they can be able to buy food that is appropriate,” Mwale said.
She said most of the ultra-processed foods contain too much salt, sugar and oil which is not healthy for babies.
“They use preservatives, sometimes they use colours and some preservatives may begin to initiate the process of introducing cancerous cells within the body,” she added.
Image: Magdaline Saya
The national coordinator and head of secretariat at Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance (SUN–CSA) Edgar Okoth said complimentary feeding is critical since that is where growth faltering starts.
He said after the six months of exclusive breast feeding failure to introduce the right foods to the infant will make the infant fail to meet the growth milestones.
“When you look at our statistics, our stunting rates are not really impressive; we are at 18 per cent and that is a cause of worry and one of the contributors is that we are not doing very well when it comes to complimentary feeding,” Okoth said.
“Stakeholders have come together and we are really working hard to ensure that we have guidelines on the front of the pack labeling because they will ensure that the right information is on the products,” he said.
Of concern is that households that grow food are selling the most nutrient-dense food and then they buy the ultra-processed foods.
"For example they will have cassava and sweet potatoes and then they will sell this and go and buy bread and mandazi, so it is important to conduct social behaviour change at community," Okoth said.
A study conducted by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and Unicef found that some caregivers are going to complimentary foods based on the health and nutritional claims on the packs.
The preliminary study findings presented at the 14th Kemri Annual Scientific and Health Conference on Friday shows that caregivers perceive commercially processed complimentary foods to be more nutritious.
The study conducted aimed to assess caregiver perceptions when it comes to commercially processed complimentary foods which are being increasingly being consumed within the country.
“The products use health and nutrition claims and caregivers perceive them to be healthy nutritious, rich in proteins, vitamins and these are some of the factors that they considered when they were purchasing these particular products,” Antonina Mutoro, an associate research scientist at APHRC said.
“This is risky because some of these foods tend to be high in fats or sugar and since they are consumed regularly they are likely to lead to NCDs and obesity later in life,” Mutoro warned.
The study conducted in Mathare, a low income area and Westlands, a high income area, saw data collected in March 2023 targeting caregivers of children aged between six and 23 months.
Zipporah Bukania, a senior principal research scientist at Kemri noted that the life of an adult begins at conception.
This means that a child who is not fed optimally will also end up not adequately empowered both mentally and physically therefore having an impact on the country's GDP.