Acceptability of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Fortified Meals

In Ethiopia, micronutrient deficiencies and associated morbidities remain a major public health problem that jeopardizes the development efforts of the country. Ethiopia faces a particularly high level of folate deficiency especially critical in women of reproductive age group (WRAG) (Haidar, J., 2010), which contributes to high rates of anaemia and can significantly increase the risk of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs), and neonatal and child mortality (Oumer, M., 2020; Wald, N.J., 2022). The government of Ethiopia recognizes the importance of a healthy population and thus has endorsed and implemented a number of nutrition specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions to improve the nutritional status and health of the population. Ethiopia has endorsed national multi-sectoral food and nutrition policy on November 23, 2018 to address the multifaceted nutritional problems. Ethiopia successfully implemented mandatory fortification programs for iodine, salt fortification with Iodine. More efforts and capacities are required to address similarly important and deep-rooted micronutrient deficiencies such as those of folic acid and vitamin B12. The Ministry of Health and all the health and nutrition stakeholders in Ethiopia recognize the vital importance of a preventive intervention that can reverse the current alarming rates of NTDs. Very recently, the fortification of edible oil and wheat flour with folic acid and other essential micronutrients was made mandatory in Ethiopia. However, they also are aware of the technical constraints in Ethiopia for the adoption of fortification of staple foods that are inherent in the diversity of staple foods and the scattered pattern of small mills. A large segment of vulnerable populations in Ethiopia resides in rural settings and has limited access to fortified foods in the market. Although consuming fortifiable wheat resulted in substantial decreases in the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in urban settings, large-scale fortified food is not a suitable approach to reaching the rural population, that depends on small scale mills for processing staple cereals such as maize, sorghum, and barley. Prior to testing the effectiveness of such intervention in improving the population health and nutrition outcomes, evaluation of the extent of sensory acceptability of the fortified products by the local community is important (Lawless et.al., 2010).

The study aims to evaluate the sensory acceptability of folic acid and vitamin B12 fortified cereal-based meals by the local communities. The evidence obtained from this trial will first provide us with a baseline understanding of potential adherence to the food made from the fortified flour, to carry on the effectiveness trial.

This study will be conducted in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (AM-HDSS) villages, Arba Minch Zuria District (AZD) and Gacho Baba District (GBD), Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The two districts have a total of 31 kebeles (the smallest administrative units in Ethiopia) with three different climatic zones, highland, midland, and lowland, among which 9 kebeles are targets of AM-HDSS, which is run by Arba Minch University. One kebele from highland and one from lowland will be selected to address the variability in food preparations techniques among kebeles of different climatic zones. To conduct the sensory acceptability test, standard meals will be prepared including the commonly consumed porridge and/or bread using unfortified flour and fortified-flour with folic acid and vitamin B12. Fortified and unfortified flour will be produced in a local meal contracted for the purpose of our project.

A preference test will be conducted among 36 WRAG using a 5-unit hedonic scale (color, test, flavor, texture/mouth feel, overall liking) with a consideration of meals prepared with fortified flour only. A triangle tests will be carried out to detect any difference between the food prepared with fortified and unfortified flour. In this test, 36 WRAG (different from the first group) will be served three bowels of the meal (one prepared from the fortified flour while the other two from non-fortified flour and vice versa) and will be asked to specify which one differs from the other two. Then if the difference is identified, the participant will be asked again to indicate whether the difference is large, medium or uncertain.

The data collection will be conducted through the combination of observation, self-administered questionnaires and interview techniques.