What determines consumption of fortified foods in Kenya: the potential for micronutrient malnutrition control
View/ Open
Date
2014-03Author
Pambo, Kennedy O
Olila, Dennis O
Language
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Food fortification is considered as an important strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition that includes vitamin A, iron and zinc deficiency in most developing countries.
Development efforts have thus focused on breeding for crops that have natural ability to produce
through a process widely known as bio
-
fortification. In Kenya, these efforts are being
complemented with push pilot fortification of foods. The recently enacted National Food Security
and Nutrition Policy aims to encourage industrial fortification of widely consumed foods with
essential micronutrients. Despite these efforts there is still very weak information on factors
affecting consumption of fortified foods hence the dearth of knowledge regarding consumption
levels and patterns. This study therefore assessed factors affecting consumption of fortified
foods. It focuses on Vitamin A fortified sugar and uses data collected from rural and peri-
urban
areas of Kenya through a binary probit model to examine consumption drivers. The results
showed that point of purchase, trust for stakeholders involved in fortification, consumer
awareness and knowledge of the importance of vitamin A have significant effects on consumption
of fortified foods. These findings offer useful insights for the development of nutrition policies in
Kenya, and Africa at large. The study also augurs well with the theme ‘Innovative Research and
Technology for Global Development’ on the premise of value addition, food technology and
human health development
URI
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/166691/2/EU%202014PamboOlila.pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11295/81689
Citation
Olila, Dennis O; Pambo, Kennedy O:What determines consumption of fortified foods in Kenya: the potential for micronutrient malnutrition controlPublisher
University of Nairobi