Posted 3:37 AM by Luigi
Two island food papers

From Dr Lois Englberger.

Dr Nelofar Athar has kindly informed us about a new source of information on Island Foods!

This is the Proceedings of the 7th OCEANIAFOODS Conference held in April 2005 in Wellington, New Zealand. It is available at this website and the pdf file is also available.

One session of the meeting was titled “Advancements in food and nutrition data in the Asia Pacific region,” and includes our paper from Micronesia, the abstract which is given below. The full paper is presented in the proceedings.

We also have a second paper, titled “A Novel Approach for Presenting Food Composition Data in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati.” The full paper gives a fuller discussion of our work in this area, including the production of Karat banana postal stamps, development of the genebank for conserving nutrient rich varieties, food processing work, and our community project in Mand. In that same session is also a paper on food contaminant studies as presented by Professor Bill Aalbersberg based in Fiji, and another paper on phytochemicals.

Thank you again Nelofar for all your work on the meeting and letting us know about the completion of the Proceedings!

Lois

Identification of Micronutrient-rich Locally Grown Foods in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati

Authors: Englberger L, Aalbersberg W, Schierle J, Hoffman P, Humphries J, Huang A, Marks GC, Lorens A, Alfred J, Iuta T, Kaiririete M, Fitzgerald MH

Objective: Vitamin A deficiency, anemia, and chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancers, are serious nutritionally-related health problems in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Marshall Islands, and Kiribati. The purpose of this study was to identify locally grown acceptable foods rich in provitamin A carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals that could be promoted to alleviate these health problems.

Method: Ethnography was used to select foods and food cultivars for analysis and to understand factors of production, consumption, and acceptability. The DSM Yolk Color Fan was used to estimate the edible flesh coloration. Samples were analyzed for provitamin A and total carotenoids using HPLC and selected vitamins and minerals using HPLC and standard methods (vitamins and minerals) and a microbiological method (folate).

Results: The cultivars with greater yellow- and orange-coloured edible flesh had higher carotenoid levels. Many banana, giant swamp taro, breadfruit, and pandanus cultivars, and other staple foods, including apuch from FSM and te bero from Kiribati, were identified as rich in provitamin A carotenoids, meeting either half or all of the estimated daily vitamin A requirements. Some giant swamp taro cultivars were identified with high levels of zinc and other minerals, and the carotenoid-rich Karat banana had high levels of riboflavin and other vitamins. The fish liver of the species studied were all rich sources of retinol, but there were also great differences in the levels.

Conclusion: Many locally grown Pacific Island staple foods have been neglected but are rich in micronutrients, including provitamin A carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals.

Recommendation: Those acceptable staple foods rich in provitamin A and total carotenoids, vitamins, and/or minerals should be promoted for their role in alleviating micronutrient deficiencies and for possibly alleviating diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Further work is needed in identifying other Pacific Island nutrient-rich locally grown foods. Ethnography should continue to be used in selecting locally grown foods for analysis, exploring social factors for reasons that these have been neglected, and for collecting information for planning promotion programs.

A Novel Approach for Presenting Food Composition Data in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati

Authors: Englberger L, Lorens A, Paul Y, Timothy J, Alfred J, Nemra J, Iuta T, Ioanne T, Marks GC, Fitzgerald MH

Objective: In order to effectively communicate food composition data the right kind of promotional materials and messages are needed. This project developed a set of materials in order to promote locally grown carotenoid-rich foods and alleviate vitamin A deficiency, anemia, and chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers). The project included the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati.

Method: Ethnography, including key informant interviews, informal focus group discussions, photography, and observation, were used to select foods of potential carotenoid content and to understand factors of production, consumption, and acceptability. Photographic materials were developed to show visual differences between the white-fleshed (or lighter-coloured) cultivars of low carotenoid content and the yellow- and orange-fleshed cultivars of high carotenoid content, focusing on banana, giant swamp taro, breadfruit, and pandanus. The content of the most important of the provitamin A carotenoids, beta-carotene, expressed per 100 g edible portion, was presented under the photo of the edible flesh of each cultivar. One page presented the message that rice contains no carotenoid at all. Another page presented the health benefits of yellow-fleshed cultivars.

Results: Great interest was shown in the materials by people of a broad range of professions and backgrounds, some requesting a fuller explanation of technical terms, such as beta-carotene. On the whole, respondents could see that the deep yellow- or orange-fleshed cultivars had the higher carotenoid content, while some were interested simply in seeing photographs of their own traditional foods presented in an attractive form or were interested in learning the cultivar names.

Conclusion: This novel approach to presenting carotenoid data was effective in communicating health messages in Micronesia.

Recommendation: This approach for communicating food composition data could be used in further Micronesian programs and possibly elsewhere to present nutrient content data and promote locally grown foods.

Lois Englberger, PhD
Island Food Community of Pohnpei
P. O. Box 2299
Kolonia, Pohnpei 96941 FM
Tel: 691-320-8639 Fax: 691-320-4647
Website: http://www.islandfood.org