Global Workshop on Nutrition-sensitive Fish Agri-food Systems 5-8 December 2017, Siem Reap, Cambodia

1. Why fish? The unique opportunity
to contribute to nutrition
Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted
Research Program Leader, Value Chains and Nutrition

2. • Fish as an irreplaceable source of multiple essential micronutrients
• Small fish; dried small fish
• Contribution to recommended nutrient dietary intakes
• Fish and breast milk, essential fatty acids
• Food safety – a missing piece
• Fish in the first 1000 days
• Uniquely placed to nourish nations and contribute to SDGs
Outline

3. Nutrient Composition of Fish Species
Characterised by:
• Large variability in nutrient content in species
• In general, small fish species from capture fisheries
contain more micronutrients than large fish from
aquaculture

4. • Vitamin A (animal-source foods have the only preformed source,
retinol; fish also has vitamin A2 - dehydroretinol, high bioefficacy)
• Vitamin B12 (animal-source foods are the only dietary source)
• Riboflavin
• Vitamin D (animal-source foods are the only dietary source)
• Vitamin E
• Bioavailable iron (animal-source foods are the only dietary source
of haem iron)
• Bioavailable zinc, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, iodine …
Small Fish: Rich in Several Essential
Micronutrients

5. • Vitamin A 2, Dehydroretinol: 119 - 127% of the biological
activity of retinol
• Iron: Haem iron underestimated by 16%; ICP-MS method
• Positive interaction: Vitamin A-rich small fish improves iron
status in children
Reevaluating the Unique Contribution of
Fish to Micronutrients

6. Why Small Fish is Unique?
Especially for the poor
• Available in local markers
• Affordable
• Small quantities can be bought
• Can be bought at a low cost
• Can be cooked in a mixed dish and
therefore easy to share among all
household members
• Common Food eaten with the Staple
• Adds Flavour and Taste to the Meal
• Improves Diet Diversity
• Enhances Mineral Bioavailability
from Foods in the Meal
• Cooked with Vegetables, Oil and
Spices, further Improving Diet
Diversity,Adding Nutrients and
Growth-promoting Substances

7. Why Dried Small Fish is Unique?
• Much greater concentration of nutrients
• Long shelf life; easy to store
• Increases duration / frequency of consumption
• Used to make fish-based products

8. Development of Fish-based Products for the First
1,000 Days of Life
Fish chutney Complementary food Fish powder

9. Increased consumption of fish in pregnant and
lactating women (especially first six months of
exclusive breastfeeding)
One heaped tablespoon
= 60 g of raw fish/day

10. Contribution (%) of Selected Fish Species to
Recommended Nutrient Intake: Vitamin B12
Small indigenous fish species
Common aquaculture species
pregnant and lactating women infants and young children

11. Contribution (%) of Selected Fish Species to
Recommended Nutrient Intake: Docosahexaenoic
Acid (DHA)
Indigenous fish species
Common aquaculture species
pregnant and lactating women infants and young children

12. Lake Malawi:
• Dried usipe contains 1,700 mg docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) per 100 g, comparable to salmon
• DHA in the breast milk of women ~0.7% of fatty acids,
about twice the global average
Lake Kitangiri, Tanzania (cradle of civilization):
• Fish and breast milk of women with high concentrations of
essential fats
Small Fish: Rich Source of Essential Fats

13. Lake Victoria:
• Cichlids and dagaa contributed high levels of DHA,
EPA, and AA
• DHA in the breast milk of women exceeded the global
average
• Fatty acid composition of breast milk influenced by
fish species
Small Fish: Rich Source of Essential Fats

14. % Change in Nutrient Intakes from Fish
1991 - 2010 in Bangladesh
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
Changeinintakes(%)1991-2010
supply improved nutrition

15. Food Safety
•Contaminants
•Heavy metals
•Microbial /
parasitic infection

16. Why Fish and Fish-based Products for
the First 1,000 Days of Life?
Address:
• High nutrient density
• Ease of preparation
• Ready to use
• Easy storage
Result in:
• Growth and development of
the foetus and infant
• Brain development and
cognition
• School and work performance

17. Achieving national
targets to meet the
SDGs
Thank you
Nourishing Nations