Acceptability of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes among Women and Their Households in 2 Districts in The Northern Region of Ghana

K Ryan Wessells; Sika M Kumordzie; Emily Becher; Jennie N Davis; Kania W Nyaaba; Sarah J Zyba; Charles D Arnold; Xiuping Tan; Stephen A Vosti; Katherine P Adams; Marjorie Haskell; Seth Adu-Afarwuah; Reina Engle-Stone

doi:10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102056

Acceptability of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes among Women and Their Households in 2 Districts in The Northern Region of Ghana

Curr Dev Nutr. 2023 Dec 8;8(1):102056. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102056. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Authors

K Ryan Wessells^{1

2}, Sika M Kumordzie¹, Emily Becher¹, Jennie N Davis¹, Kania W Nyaaba³, Sarah J Zyba⁴, Charles D Arnold¹, Xiuping Tan¹, Stephen A Vosti^{1

5}, Katherine P Adams^{1

2}, Marjorie Haskell^{1

2}, Seth Adu-Afarwuah³, Reina Engle-Stone^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
² Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
³ Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
⁴ School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.
⁵ Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.

Abstract

Background: Bouillon is a promising large-scale food fortification vehicle, but there is uncertainty regarding the types and concentrations of micronutrients that are feasible to add without compromising consumer acceptability.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of 2 different multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube formulations, compared with a bouillon cube fortified with iodine only.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled acceptability study in 2 districts in northern Ghana. Two nonproprietary, noncommercialized formulations of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes containing iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamins A and B12, and iodine at "upper-level" (45-125% CODEX NRV/2.5g) or "lower-level" (15-50% CODEX NRV/2.5g) concentrations, and a control cube that contained iodine only (50% CODEX NRV/2.5g) were evaluated. Eligible women (n = 84) were invited to participate in 1) center-based sensory evaluations designed to permit within-individual comparisons among the different study products; and 2) in-home evaluation of bouillon acceptability and use, in which participants were randomized to receive 1 of the 3 study products to use in household cooking for a 2-wk period. Acceptance test ratings were based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = dislike very much, 5 = like very much).

Results: In the center-based evaluations, overall liking of the 3 bouillon cube formulations both dry and in prepared dishes ranged from 4.3 to 4.6 on the 5-point Likert scale and did not differ among formulations (P > 0.05). After the 2-wk in-home trial, 93.8% of index participants (n = 75/80) rated their overall liking of the bouillon product formulation to which they were randomly assigned as "like" or "like very much" (4-5 on the 5-point Likert scale) and median apparent intake of study-provided bouillon over 2 wk was 3.6 g/capita/d; neither value differed by study group (P = 0.91 for both).

Conclusions: All 3 formulations of bouillon cubes assessed were acceptable to women and their households in 2 districts in northern Ghana.This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05177614.

Keywords: acceptability; bouillon; deficiency; large-scale food fortification; micronutrient; mineral; vitamin; women.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05177614