Don suggests egg powder way out of malnutrition

A university don, has called for mass production of dry egg powder as a measure to addressing the problem of malnutrition in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps across the North East. Reports say hundreds of children and women at IDP camps across Boko Haram-ravaged North east are suffering from malnutrition. The United Nations Children […]

A university don, has called for mass production of dry egg powder as a measure to addressing the problem of malnutrition in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps across the North East.

Reports say hundreds of children and women at IDP camps across Boko Haram-ravaged North east are suffering from malnutrition.

The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) in a recent report said 475, 000 women and children around the Lake Chad region are at risk severe acute malnutrition due to drought and the insurgents’ activities.

According to the report, of this population, 49, 000, mostly from Borno, the heartland of insurgency, risk death from malnutrition.

Professor Denis Odionyenfe Balogu, dean, faculty of applied sciences and technology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, (IBBU), Lapai said egg powered could be the key ingredient in solving the problem.  

"Containing proteins, vitamins and minerals, the egg is a vital source of nutrition capable of addressing the lingering malnutrition crisis in camps across the North East," Prof Balogu, who is also senior executive associate/consultant, African Land Food and Agricultural Development (ALFAD) told Daily Trust in an interview in Lapai.

Prof Balogu along with other scientists recently came up with innovations aimed at preserving and adding value to agricultural produce among which is egg powder initiative.

"Egg powder is a highly dehydrated egg. They may be produced by various methods such as spray drying, vacuum drying, or freeze-drying. We employed the technology of foam-mat drying to dehydrate freshly purchased eggs. The eggs were washed, left to dry at room temperature, weighed and then cracked with a kitchen knife. Dehydrated samples were scraped off the aluminium trays and ground in a grinder (Corona) to obtain fine particle sizes," he explained.

He said a little addition of the powered egg to every meal served at the IDPs camps could solve the lingering malnutrition crisis.

He said the Faculty is currently sourcing fund and would collaborate with interested individual, cooperate organizations and government to mass produce the product.