Evaluation of the Suitability and Acceptability of a Newly Designed Infant Flour for Infant Feeding in the District of Bopa in South of Benin

• Published in: African journal of food, agriculture, nutrition, and development : AJFAND Vol. 11; no. 4; p. np
• Main Authors: Dossa, R A M, Ahouandjinou, E R T, Houngbe, F E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nairobi Rural Outreach Program 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Babies; Food; Food supply; Health and Medicine; Mothers; Benin
• ISSN: 1684-5358; 1684-5374

In Benin, 43.1% of children less than 6 months old are exclusively breastfed with 68% of children aged 6-8 months receiving complementary food. The study aimed to produce infant flour from raw food ingredients available in Bopa district and to test its acceptability by 6-12 months old children. In a first step of the study, formulation and determination of nutritional characteristics of the infant flour occurred. A second step concerned acceptability tests of gruel made from formulated infant flour. The infant flour was made of maize (65 %), bean (20 %) and peanut (15 %) and was manually processed. The flour was yeast, mould and pathogen (Escherichia coli) free. Based on the ratio of intake and amount served, 83.3% of children accepted the gruel. However based on the ratio of the amount of porridge consumed during the test to the amount usually consumed by the children, 65.2% of the children accepted the gruel. Mothers' appreciation of the gruel ranged from unpleasant to very pleasant with 40% as pleasant. Sixty percent of mothers judged the infant flour processing as easy and feasible. All mothers expressed their desire to feed their children with the gruel. Improving nutritional status of their children motivated their decision. It is concluded that integrating this infant flour in nutrition and counselling package targeted to mothers may be of a great benefit to the children.