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The Science of Designing Food for the World’s Poor

This news piece highlights the production of Mi Comidita in Guatemala, a corn-soy porridge fortified with 19 vitamins and minerals and financed largely by the Canadian government and the World Health Organization. The porridge is integrated into a nutrition education program targeting pregnant and nursing mothers, in which madres consejeras (“mother counselors”) meet monthly with community groups to discuss proper nutrition. The article also weaves in the use of FANTA’s ‘Optifood’ system, which identifies best-possible diets based on local foods and prices and availability. In the end, the author suggests that local demand and education make for the best bridge across gaps in nutrition.

The Atlantic, June 2014