ISSN 2375-1177
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security ISSN: 2375-1177 Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research paper
Nutrient Analysis of Children's Foods: Coastal versus Sudan Savannah Zones of Benin
Fernande G. Honfo1*, Kerstin Hell2, Noel Akissoe3, Romain Dossa3, Joseph D. Hounhouigan3
1International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Cotonou), 08 BP 0932 Cotonou, Bénin.
2International Potato Center (CIP-Cotonou), 08 BP 0932, Cotonou, Bénin.
3Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Abomey Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Bénin.
Accepted 17 October, 2025
Food diversification is recognized as an approach to reduce nutrient deficiencies among the population. Samples of food commonly consumed by the children in two agro ecological zones (Coastal Savannah Zone in the South (CSZ) and Sudan Savannah Zone in the North (SSZ)) of Benin were collected for energy, protein, fat, iron, zinc and vitamin A contents determination. Energy content ranged from 76 to 82 kcal/100 g (wet basis) in the cereal paste collected in the CSZ and from 60 to 105 kcal/100 g in the SSZ. In the samples sauces from CSZ, energy ranged between 49 and 189 kcal/100 g; and protein from 1.9 to 5.6 g/100 g; Iron and zinc contents ranged between 1.8 - 5.0 and 0.2 - 1.1 mg/100 g respectively while vitamin A content from 428 to 6394 mg RE/100 g. Samples sauces gave 39.0 - 84.1 kcal/100 g of energy; 1.5 - 4.3 g of protein; 1.6 - 5.6 mg of iron; 0.08 - 0.8 mg of zinc and 44.8 - 3805 mg RE of vitamin A in the SSZ. The same zone showed high food variability with 12 types of foods versus 5 for CSZ. However, high prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition is observed among the children in the SSZ. Then, the food variability is not a sufficient factor to improve the nutritional status of the children.
Key words: Agro-ecological zones, nutritional composition, energy content, protein content, iron content, zinc content.