Increasing protein and micronutrient content of complementary foods through a caterpillar cereal
Democratic Republic of Congo
Project Summary
Malnutrition resulting from inadequate complementary feeding is a serious problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The goal of the project is to develop and test a cereal for complementary feeding of infants and young Congolese children made from caterpillars, a locally available source of protein and micronutrients.
Collaborating Institutions
School of Medicine of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the nation’s leading public schools of medicine whose mission is to improve the health of the public, including the international community, by providing leadership in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.
Kinshasa School of Public Health, located in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is a public institution that offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in a wide range of health disciplines and conducts health-related research throughout the DRC.
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante (IRSS), located on the campus of the University of Kinshasa, is supported by the DRC Ministry of Research and houses laboratories whose primary focus is nutritional research.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Carl Bose, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina
Updates
Left: Child receiving caterpillar cereal.
Above: Caterpillar kit
One of the A&T small grants was featured in a poster presentation at the meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Denver on May 8, 2011. Dr. Melissa Bauserman reported on the results of the acceptability trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo of a caterpillar cereal mix for complementary feeding. The mix is made from locally available ingredients: dried caterpillars, ground corn, palm oil, sugar, and salt. Caterpillars may be a suitable and sustainable substitute for animal-source foods, which are not readily available in the study area.