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Zimbabweans Urged to Consume Diversified Food to Fight Nutritious Problem

Posted on: Thursday, 6 January 2005, 09:00 CST

Zimbabweans urged to consume diversified food to fight nutritious problem

HARARE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean Minister of Science and Technology Olivia Muchena has called on local people to consume diversified food in order to fight nutritious problems the country is currently facing, local media reported Wednesday.

She said this Tuesday at a press conference to announce the inaugural annual Zimbabwe Food Fair to be held on January 27-29 this year.

"This is a key strategy in the ongoing battle against Zimbabwe' s food and nutrition problems," Muchena said.

"We are more likely to meet nutritional requirements and be a healthier nation if we consume a diversified diet."

Muchena said the country had three main categories of nutritional problems and these were protein energy malnutrition especially among young children, vitamins and mineral deficiencies.

The minister reiterated the need for a diversified diet for both rural and urban communities as a way of increasing food options.

She appealed to Zimbabweans to desist from shunning traditional foods in favor of western foods. "The limited consumption of traditional diet has been linked to the perception that traditional foods are inferior to western diet, yet the West is now adopting traditional diets as they have been shown to be healthy," she said.

The fair has been organized by the Food and Nutrition Council, a department within the Scientific Industrial Research and Development Center under the theme "Promoting a Diversified Diet for Better Nutrition and Health."

Meanwhile, preparations for the fair have reached an advanced stage with over 70 exhibitors having already confirmed their participation.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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