Aligarh : Students interested in the study of the make-up of food in biological, chemical and physical sense can now begin their academic journey in a dedicated Centre for Food Science and Technology at the Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Tec
The amount of nutrients people get from the crops that they eat is a type of postcode lottery , according to new research that has analysed thousands of cereal grains and soils as part of a project to tackle hidden hunger in Malawi and Ethiopia.
Researchers have discovered more about the relation between soils, crops and micronutrient deficiencies among people living there.
They analysed the grain of more than 3,000 cereal crop samples from farmers’ fields in Ethiopia and Malawi.
The team found that the amount of the dietary micronutrients calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc in the grain varied substantially with location, with some areas showing much lower levels of than others.
Some cereal types, such as millets, are more nutritious than others, such as maize.
Whether deficiencies are likely in an area also depends on its soils and landscapes, the study suggests.
The co-lead authors of the paper are Dr Dawd Gashu, working in the Centre for Food Science and Nutrition at Addis Ababa University (AAU) in Ethiopia, and Dr Patson Nalivata, in the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) in Malawi.
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