Knowledge, attitude and usage patterns of fermented and germinated complementary foods in Nigeria

A detailed general information questionnaire was used to elicit information from 400 households in two urban and two rural communities each in Anambra and Enugu states in Nigeria. The results showed that over 85% of the sample population in both states were familiar with fermentation as a food processing method. Only 1.01% was familiar with germination as a processing step in traditional food preparation. Preference (15-54%), cost (4-16%), mother's advice (2-14%) and medical advice (4-5%) in the 4 locations largely influenced choice of foods. The amount of money spent on complementary foods in surveyed families ranged from less than Naira 100 (US dollars 1.11) to more than Naira 400 (US dollars 4.44) per month. Fermented complementary foods were mostly homemade though some mothers used a variety of commercial complementary foods as well. In general, 86.5-95% of the mothers interviewed had used fermented foods; 13.5% had neither used nor germinated foods. The food most frequently fermented was corn (71.82-86.69%). The period of fermentation varied from less than 1 day to over 3 days, and fermented foods were introduced to infants from 4-6 months after birth mainly as a cultural practice. Other reasons for the use of fermented foods varied from improving taste, helping the child grow, and removing toxins to improving nutrient contents of foods. Fermented foods were stored in buckets covered with water or in a refrigerator. Improved technology in the production of fermented complementary foods will reduce the tedious work involved in processing and improve quality of foods consumed by children.