Nutrition intervention : a test of extruded foods in balwady feeding program in Tamil Nadu

THESE INCLUDED 600 PREGNANT OR LACTATING MOTHERS, 700 INFANTS AGED SIX MONTHS TO TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS, AND 870 CHILDREN AGED TWO AND ONE-HALF TO FIVE YEARS. THE STUDY OBJECTIVES WERE TO TEST THE ACCEPTABILITY, SHELF LIFE, HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS, PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS, AND OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGES OF EXTRUDED FOOD PREPARATIONS. TWO FORMULATIONS WERE SELECTED: A BLAND BITE-SIZE BIT IN READY-TO-EAT FORM, AND A SWEETENED POWDER INTENDED TO BE RECONSTITUTED WITH WATER INTO A PORRIDGE. BOTH PRODUCTS WERE COMPOSED OF 70 PERCENT CORN GRITS AND 30 PERCENT DEFATTED SOYA FLOUR, FORTIFIED WITH A VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX. BOTH FOODS WERE FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE NOT REJECTED BY THE TEST POPULATION. DAILY CONSUMPTION WAS NOT VERY DIFFERENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF CSM IN THE REGULAR BALWADY PROGRAM. HOWEVER, THE SWEETENED POWDER WAS LESS PALATABLE, AND AFTER A TIME IT WAS BEING PREPARED BY COOKING IT IN A TRADITIONAL LOCAL PREPARATION. THE FOODS HAD EXCELLENT HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS, THE POLYETHYLENE PACKAGING WAS ADEQUATE, AND THE SHELF LIFE APPEARED TO BE COMPARABLE TO CSM. THE SHORT TEST PROGRAM WAS PROMISING. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON OPERATIONS, PREPARATIONS, AND COSTS BEFORE LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMS CAN SOUNDLY BE BASED ON EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY.