Towards a food-based approach to improve iron and zinc status of rural Beninese children: enhancing mineral bioavailability from sorghum-based food

The growth performance, food pattern, and iron and zinc status of 80 rural Beninese school-age children were assessed in a post-harvest and in a pre-harvest season. The foods as eaten by the children were analysed chemically with special reference to iron, zinc, and phytate contents. The children show a poor growth performance and many of them can be classified as stunted (small for height). This suggests that the children suffer from a long-term marginal food intake, quantitatively and qualitatively. This is confirmed by the food intake and food analysis results which underline that the iron and zinc bioavailability is poor because of the presence of high levels of antinutritional factors as phytate. The low iron bioavailability is undoubtedly one of the causes of the high prevalence of anaemia among these children. To improve iron and zinc status of children, more attention should be given to improving bioavailability of these minerals.