A new product was developed by FrieslandCampina for Sub-Saharan Africa as affordable nutrition to nourish Nigerian families of low to middle-socioeconomic class (SEC). It can potentially be used to enhance the ongoing school feeding programs, which are aimed at reducing malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies. The main component of the product is maize, which is a traditional staple in Nigeria. The product also contains milk (being a good source of high quality protein) fortified with various micronutrients including iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12 at levels contributing to approximately 1/3 of daily recommended intakes per serving of product. Intake of this product may therefore contribute to improvement of micronutrient status among Nigerian schoolchildren suffering from such nutrient deficiencies. Micronutrients are important for various processes in the body, which in turn may influence other outcomes as cognitive performance, reduce illness and improve growth.
The study is a double-blinded three-arm intervention trial. The individual children will be randomised into the three different arms of the study, with varying doses of micronutrients (1) low, (2) medium and (3) high. The 50g of study product will be given to school children every school day (5/7 days of the week) for 5 intervention months. Study product: A fermented maize pap, with soy, dairy and multiple micronutrient fortification. Active components: Multiple micronutrient fortification, including ferrous fumarate. Amount of micronutrients differ based on the arm of the study.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
934
The study product is a multiple micronutrient fortified maize pap with milk
FrieslandCampina Research and Development
Wageningen, Netherlands
Iron status
There will be a change between the two test groups and the control group in iron status as measured by in hemoglobin (whole blood) g/L .
Time frame: 5 months
Serum ferritin
There will be a change between the two test groups and the control group in iron status as measured by serum ferritin (ug/L).
Time frame: 5 months
Iron deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia and anemia
There will be a difference in prevalence of iron-deficiency, iron-deficiency anaemia and anaemia, taking modifying factors like soluble transferrin receptor and inflammation markers in plasma into account.
Time frame: 5 months
Nutrient status
A difference in nutrient status of selected nutrients (iodine, vitamin A, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D)
Time frame: 5 months
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