USAID| FishFirst! Zambia.Final Technical Report: July 2020 to July 2023

Abstract

Undernutrition among infants and young children (IYC) is serious in Zambia, as 34.6% of children under age 5 years are stunted(1) and daily intakes of energy, calcium, iron, and vitamins are below recommendations. (2) Risk of stunting increases during the complementary feeding stage, as vulnerable IYC begin consuming diets that rely heavily on cereal-based staples (e.g., maize), which lack essential protein, fats, and micronutrients. (3,4) Enhancing vulnerable IYC’s diets is achievable by adding nutrient-dense whole pelagic small fish—an affordable animal source food rich in protein, fatty acids, and micronutrients (e.g., iron, calcium, and zinc). (5-10) Supported by USAID through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, FishFirst! Zambia’s goal is to harness the power of pelagic small fish to benefit nutrition among vulnerable IYC and their families. Our project’s technology/innovation is Complementary Food for Africa+Dried Fish Powder (ComFA+Fish), a novel protein/micronutrient blend to fortify traditional foods whose key ingredient is Dried Fish Powder made from locally sourced pelagics (e.g., Kapenta, Limnothrissa miodon and Stolothrissa tanganicae). As the necessary first steps towards scaling ComFA+Fish across Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we conducted trainings/ activities including: 1) Sensory Panel I to evaluate acceptability of four ComFA+Fish dishes; 2) Sensory Panel II to evaluate IYC’s acceptability of ComFA+Fish Complementary Maize Porridge; and 3) Sensory Panel III to evaluate acceptability of Plain and Vanilla ComFA+Fish Instant Porridges. Having determined high acceptability ComFA+Fish, our next steps are: 1) Complete a shelf-life study of Kapenta Dried Fish Powder (underway); 2) Adjust ComFA+Fish recipes as needed to ensure meeting recommended nutrient intakes without compromising flavor, etc.; 3) Continue to forge collaborations with in-country partners to scale ComFA+Fish at national/regional-, district- and village-levels across Zambia and SSA; and 4) Seek funding to conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine efficacy of ComFA+Fish or ComFA+Fish PLUS (a multicomponent intervention) on linear growth, cognitive development, and anemia among IYC followed over a 24-month period.