(1999-2000)

For many years, SUSTAIN organized short-term activities in response to requests for assistance from developing countries. These requests came from local businesses, organizations, universities and educational institutions, USAID missions and other international donors, host country governments, and others. SUSTAIN staff carefully evaluated each request in consultation with expert volunteers to determine the nature of the problem and the most appropriate type of assistance. Assistance was offered in many forms, including technical consultations, technical assistance, assessments, workshops, and other activities to best address the needs in the field.

Ghana (2000). Technical Assistance in Tomato Processing
SUSTAIN provided technical support to the building of a pilot plant for tomato processing in the Brong Ahafo region. Procedural manuals were drafted and plant staff was trained on operations, maintenance, record keeping, accounting, monitoring, and food safety.

Kansas City, KS (November 2000). Kansas City. Poster Session at American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) Annual Meeting
Sustain presented a poster session on the results of the Monterrey Workshop at the AACC Annual Meeting. Findings and recommendations are shared with the food and ingredients industry and with members of academia.

Washington DC (November 2000). Debriefing
SUSTAIN held a debriefing on the results of the Monterrey Workshop for representatives from Latin American agencies working in food fortification, the U.S. food industry. International organizations, donor agencies, and researchers involved in food-based public health interventions.

Brazil (August 2000, November 2000). Technical Assistance to Brazilian Milling Industry
A SUSTAIN team (composed of a fortification specialist and a miller from El Salvador) participated in a mobilization workshop on fortification for wheat and corn millers in Brazil. The workshop was hosted by Embrapa, a division of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. The SUSTAIN counterparts spoke about fortification methods and successful fortification efforts in the U.S. and Latin America. Following the workshop, SUSTAIN hosted two Embrapa staff on visits to milling and baking facilities in the U.S. to observe process and quality assurance methods.

Mexico (March 2000). ITESM World Food Needs Symposium
At the invitation of the Monterrey Institute of Technology, SUSTAIN participated in a symposium on world food needs and challenges. SUSTAIN provided an overview of its programs and spoke on the challenges of global food issues and malnutrition. The workshop was hosted by the Food Science Department of the Institute.

Brazil (March 2000). Assessment of Brazilian Milling Industry
At the request of UNICEF/Brazil, the Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) a SUSTAIN team visited Brazil to provide short-term technical support for an initiative to fortify corn and wheat products with iron. The team assessed the fortification capacity of Brazilian millers and helped plan a mobilization workshop scheduled to take place in the summer of 2000.

Malawi (March, 1999). Training in Quality Control and Marketing to Small Businesses
Two SUSTAIN volunteers visited Malawi to assist bakeries and manufacturers of Likuni Phala, a local low-cost weaning food, to expand development and commercialization of this nutritious product. Activities included a seminar on micronutrient fortification for local bakers; workshops on more effective marketing of Likuni-Phala products; technical assistance to World Vision International's Likuni Phala Production Unit on effective operational methods; and technical support on the fortification of maize flour at the village level.

Bangladesh (December 1999). Fortification of Wheat Flour in Bangladesh
SUSTAIN participated in an assessment of the micronutrient fortification of atta wheat flour in Bangladesh and of the possible introduction of fortified atta into the Government’s Food for Education (FFE) program. Information gathered during the trip and a subsequent analysis of atta indicated that fortification of atta is technically feasible. Further, the team concluded that fortified atta wheat would be an effective means to deliver needed micronutrients to groups vulnerable to malnutrition. The team recommended developing a pilot plan and proceeding with work to fortify donated wheat. Representatives from USAID/BHR and USAID/PHN participated in the team assessment.

Seattle, WA (Oct.-Nov. 1999). Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cereal Chemists 1999
SUSTAIN hosted two symposia on issues associated with micronutrient fortification at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC). The first was delivered by Dr. Lena Davidson, who presented findings from research carried out on the bioavailability of various iron compounds in corn masa flour. This research was sponsored by SUSTAIN and was carried out in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Institute for Nutrition in Central America and Panama (INCAP). The second presentation was delivered by Dr. Rafael Camacho, who serves as the Advisor to the Mexican Ministry of Health and spoke on the government’s landmark agreement with industry to initiate fortification of wheat and corn flour in Mexico. In addition, SUSTAIN cosponsored an evening reception with ingredient and fortification companies to raise awareness about Mexico’s public/private sector initiative on fortification. Participants included senior executives from the cereal and ingredients industry in the U.S. and Mexico, government representatives, nutritionists and public health experts, SUSTAIN volunteers, and representatives from partnering organizations in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Russia.

Davis, CA (October 1999). Zinc Symposium
A SUSTAIN industry specialist presented a paper and participated in a workshop on zinc entitled, “Zinc and Human Health: Results of Recent Intervention Trials and Implications for Programmatic Interventions and Program-Linked Research.” The Symposium was hosted by the Micronutrient Initiative and the University of California and covered:
• a review of the results of recent zinc intervention trials, focusing on the impact of enhanced zinc status on child survival and functional performance;
• a summary of the implications of these studies with regard to appropriate programmatic interventions, with special emphasis on dietary modification, supplementation, and fortification; and
• an identification of critical gaps in knowledge that may impede implementation of programmatic interventions.

Guatemala City (September 1999). Technical Meeting at INCAP’s 50th Anniversary Conference
In response to a request from the Institute for Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Dr. Sean Lynch participated in the Institute’s 50th Anniversary Meeting on September 7, 1999. Dr. Lynch made two presentations at the event: the first on aspects of human iron metabolism as it relates to iron deficiency and the second on new important developments in iron fortification and the need for additional studies.

Chicago, IL (July 1999). Annual Meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists 1999
As part of the 1999 annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, held in Chicago SUSTAIN:
• organized a technical forum to discuss issues related to vitamin A fortification. This panel included fortification experts from various sectors, including Watson Foods, USAID, Silliker Labs, and BASF. Topics included the magnitude of vitamin A deficiency, the SUSTAIN Micronutrient Assessment Project and technical solutions to enhance the stability of this labile vitamin in staple food products.
• hosted a meeting with its corn masa flour advisory panel members. Preliminary results from SUSTAIN’s study on iron fortified corn masa flour and other cereal fortification studies proposed next steps were discussed.
• hosted a meeting of its Iron EDTA task force. The Iron EDTA task force agenda included overviews of research by SUSTAIN, ILSI, and MI along with a discussion of issues relevant to the use of Iron EDTA, i.e. toxicity, zinc-iron interactions and cost-benefit information.
• With support from the food industry, hosted a reception for SUSTAIN volunteers to acknowledge past projects and discuss new initiatives.

Washington, DC (April 1999). Conference on Enhancing Quality of International Relief Foods:
SUSTAIN co-sponsored a workshop entitled “Enhancing Quality of Relief Foods” with the Food Aid Management (FAM) and Micronutrient Initiative (MI). This workshop was held on April 28-30, 1999 and involved a broad range of groups working on Title II emergency relief programs, including PVO’s, commodity manufacturers, and international agencies. SUSTAIN worked collaboratively with a coalition of groups to organize the workshop, select speakers, and prepare and edit conference proceedings. In addition, SUSTAIN provided partial funding for workshop logistics, participation of SUSTAIN industry volunteers, and conference proceedings. These proceedings were printed and distributed in November 1999.

Washington, DC (March 1999). Conference on Processed Complementary Foods
SUSTAIN participated in a technical consultation organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and USAID’s Linkages project in Washington DC. The focus was primarily on reviewing experiences with complementary foods in Latin America and identifying keys to the success of such initiatives. SUSTAIN contributed information on formulations and the nutrient content and specifications for U.S. food aid blended commodities (corn soy blend (CSB) and wheat soy blend (WSB)).

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