I think what we are doing is perhaps not directly related to Food Security in a traditional sense, but more to something like nutrition security. Of course, they are intertwined. But, what we want to do, is to facilitate access to nutritious foods, through products that people eat every day... Fabio Rappenecker, Founder and CEO TenX Nutrition.
Africa is moving towards a double-burden of malnutrition complicated by micronutrient deficiency.
Micronutrients are important in the nervous system and endocrine system. Our physiology is based on the "micro-nutrients" not "macro-nutrients". This doesn't mean that carbohydrates, proteins and fat are to be underestimated in the roles they play in our physiology. Take, for example, tryosine; it's an Amino acid that is important in the synthesis of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, that enhances focus, among other functions.
Folate acid is important in the synthesis of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.
...If you are in a better financial situation, then you have better chances of buying food, of having access to the foods that deliver high amounts of nutrients, right? And if you are not in that situation, then, well, you would have to make very big sacrifices to still reach those or to attain those vitamins and minerals, and we want to change that...we believe that there is a way to put micronutrients and vitamins all of that in products that we eat on a daily basis... Fabio Rappenecker.
Fabio is targeting low-income communities. He is fortifying Mandazi (a deep-fried snack) with minerals and vitamins and enriching it with cassava, banana, soybean and sweet potato flour.
What does this mean?
Easy access to nutritious snacks.
Tackling malnutrition through providing macro and micro-nutrients.
Providing scientific interventions through cultural/traditional foods.
Providing dignity to low-income communities; the right to nutritious food is a fundamental human right.
Encouraging, profitability-sustainability-nutritious food product, as a business model.
TenX Nutrition is playing its role in tackling malnutrition in Kenya. Thus, contributing to the Kenyan food security systems.
Policymakers need to support value-addition companies which are encouraging profitability-sustainability-nutritious food product, as a business model.
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Further reading
Ren Zhao, et al (2001). Relationship between dopamine-stimulated phospholipid methylation and the single-carbon folate pathway. Journal of Neurochemistry, volume,78, Issue 4, p. 788-796
Cieślik Ewa, I.C (2018). Occurrence and significance of folic acid. Open access
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