title: The use of linear programming to determine whether a formulated complementary food product can ensure adequate nutrients for 6- to 11-month-old Cambodian infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A new software tool, Optifood, developed by the WHO and based on linear programming (LP) analysis, has been developed to formulate food-based recommendations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study discusses the use of Optifood for predicting whether formulated complementary food (CF) products can ensure dietary adequacy for target populations in Cambodia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dietary data were collected by 24-h recall in a cross-sectional survey of 6- to 11-mo-old infants (n = 78). LP model parameters were derived from these data, including a list of foods, median serving sizes, and dietary patterns. Five series of LP analyses were carried out to model the target population's baseline diet and 4 formulated CF products [WinFood (WF), WinFood-Lite (WF-L), Corn-Soy-Blend Plus (CSB+), and Corn-Soy-Blend Plus Plus (CSB++)], which were added to the diet in portions of 33 g/d dry weight (DW) for infants aged 6-8 mo and 40 g/d DW for infants aged 9-11 mo. In each series of analyses, the nutritionally optimal diet and theoretical range, in diet nutrient contents, were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LP analysis showed that baseline diets could not achieve the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, iron, and zinc (range: 14-91% of RNI in the optimal diets) and that none of the formulated CF products could cover the nutrient gaps for thiamin, niacin, iron, and folate (range: 22-86% of the RNI). Iron was the key limiting nutrient, for all modeled diets, achieving a maximum of only 48% of the RNI when CSB++ was included in the diet. Only WF and WF-L filled the nutrient gap for calcium. WF-L, CSB+, and CSB++ filled the nutrient gap for zinc (9- to 11-mo-olds).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The formulated CF products improved the nutrient adequacy of complementary feeding diets but could not entirely cover the nutrient gaps. These results emphasize the value of using LP to evaluate special CF products during the intervention planning phase. The WF study was registered at controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN19918531.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (JKHS, MAD, and NR); the Department of Fisheries Post-harvest Technologies and Quality Control, Fishery Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (TB and CC); Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France (FTW); and the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom (ELF).
authors.forename: Jutta K H
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Skau
authors.forename: Touch
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bunthang
authors.forename: Chhoun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chamnan
authors.forename: Frank T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Wieringa
authors.forename: Marjoleine A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dijkhuizen
authors.forename: Nanna
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Elaine L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002160:Cambodia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012275:Oryza; D011382:Programming, Linear; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances; D064788:Serving Size; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012984:Software; D013025:Glycine max; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients