IUNS Annual Micronutrient Activity Report

Barbara A. Underwood, President

[April 6, 2000]

In collaboration with the UNU (N. Scrimshaw), IUNS (B. Underwood) organized a two day workshop on "Dietary Approaches to Vitamin A Deficiency" held August 27-28 just prior to the 8th Asian Congress of Nutrition in Seoul, South Korea. The workshop was supported by the Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council (MPOC) as well as FAO, WHO, IAEA and MI. An opening talk by Robert Parker, Cornell University, addressed methodological considerations in determining bioactivity of vitamin A and carotenoids for human nutrition, noting that using stable isotope tracers provided the most accurate information. Reports that followed dealt with issues of whether provitamin vegetable sources could maintain and/or improve body stores. How to identify food sources of vitamin A and provitamin A among local populations was discussed and, an unusually rich native fruit source of beta-carotene (Gac) and its use in Vietnam was described. Several studies presented the chemical and health-benefit characteristics of red palm oil and its effectiveness in diets for combating vitamin A deficiency. Lessons learned from the home garden initiative in Bangladesh in attempting to expand to a national scale were presented and an example from Thailand of moving a health system from a medical toward a dietary approach considered. Engaging communities in sustainable dietary approaches was illustrated by studies in Thailand. Other presentations included fortification programmes for prevention of vitamin A deficiency in the Philippines, potential uses of biotechnology in development of high-carotene foods and dietary strategies for combating iron, zinc and vitamin A in developing countries and impact evaluation of food-based programmes. Proceedings containing the individual papers from the workshop, and some additional invited contributions, will be available as a special issue of the UNU Food and Nutrition Bulletin in July 2000.

Also in collaboration with UNU, IUNS has agreed to administratively co-sponsor establishment of an International Zinc Consultative Group, the proposal that SCN decided was beyond its mandate as presented independently last year. The arrangements made are for a one-year period, continuation contingent on diversifying the financial support base to include UN Agencies and other sources, in addition to industry. An international Steering Committee is being formed and expects to hold its first meeting at the time of the upcoming June meeting on zinc to be held in Copenhagen. The Secretariat for the group will be housed at U. C. Davis under the direction of Dr. Ken Brown. All financial support will be received and administered by the International Nutrition Foundation.