Dried small fish provide nutrient densities important for the first 1000 days

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Food Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Sub-Saharan Africa faces widespread nutrient deficiencies, particularly among pregnant/lactating women and young children.
• Increasing fish consumption is a proposed strategy to improve dietary intake and address these deficiencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the nutrient content of two fish-based recipes: fish powder and fish chutney.
• To assess the contribution of these recipes to recommended daily intakes of iron, zinc, calcium, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
• To compare the nutrient density of fish powder with a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement plus (SQ-LNS-plus).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of nutrient content in fish powder and fish chutney made from dried small fish.
• Calculation of the contribution of a serving of each recipe to recommended daily intakes for target populations.
• Nutrient density comparison between fish powder and SQ-LNS-plus.

Main Results:

• A 10-g serving of fish powder provides ≥20% of daily calcium and ≥37% of daily DHA for pregnant/lactating women and children.
• A 30-g serving of fish chutney provides >40% of daily calcium for pregnant women and >50% for lactating women.
• Fish powder demonstrates comparable or superior nutrient density in iron, zinc, calcium, and DHA compared to SQ-LNS-plus.

Conclusions:

• Fish powder and fish chutney are nutrient-rich foods that can help address micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations.
• Incorporating dried small fish into daily meals is a viable strategy to improve nutrition during the critical first 1000 days of life.
• Fish-based recipes offer a cost-effective and accessible alternative or supplement to fortified foods.