LEGAZPI CITY—To stimulate economic growth, various institutions in the country and abroad have initiated a project to use peanut butter as the vehicle for vitamin A fortification in nutrition.

They intend to expand markets abroad for quality peanut products from the Philippines.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development, the project is a collaboration of the University of Georgia (UGA) in the US, National Food Authority’s Food Development Center (FDC), and Department of Science and Nutrition of the College of Home Economics-University of the Philippines.

It can also be a measure against loss of sight among poor Filipino children and adults due to lack of vitamin A in their diet, according to Romeo Escandor, regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in Bicol. 

Escandor on Monday said peanut butter has been considered as a good vehicle for vitamin A fortification because it is high in fat content and consumed by the low-income segment of the population.

According to the FDC, vitamin A fortification has been recognized as a means of addressing this micronutrient deficiency among Filipinos, particularly the low-income group.

Fortification alone, however, isn’t sufficient enough as the vitamin must be shelf stable, and that means proper packaging materials should be used to ensure that added vitamins remain until the product is consumed, the FDC said in information materials distributed by the Neda.

“On the other hand, the stability and homogeneity of the vitamin A in peanut butter are also necessary so that for every serving of peanut butter, a proportionate amount of vitamin A is added to the diet to meet the recommended daily allowance,” it said. 

Experiments done by the FDC to fortify peanut butter involved the initial preparation of a peanut-butter premix containing high levels of vitamin A, followed by the addition of the premix to plain peanut butter at a weight ratio adequate to achieve the required level of fortification in the final product.

The final product prepared in the study resulted in a fortified peanut butter with a level of vitamin A that is 65 percent of the RDA. The average vitamin A recovery achieved was from 84.08 percent to 85.06 percent. The actual vitamin A content was 8.5 and 8.6 micrograms per gram of peanut butter, the FDC said.

In the guidelines of the Department of Health on micronutrient fortification, the level of vitamin A in fortified foods should supply at least 35 percent to 150 percent of the RDA.

Escandor said that several studies abroad conducted recently, such as the Iowa Women’s Health and the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events, also show that consumption of peanuts is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

But despite their unique nutritional profile, some individuals avoid peanut products because they are energy dense food and the high caloric density of peanuts and peanut products in the diet might increase energy intake leading to weight gain and an increase in body mass index.

Peanuts like other legumes are also excellent sources of magnesium and fiber, the report added.

Given these multibenefits that can be derived from peanuts—from economic to health advantages—the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Bicol is aggressively promoting the production of high-quality peanuts, Escandor said.

Demand for peanut butter fortified with vitamin A had significantly increased here and abroad, and he said the DA is taking advantage of this as it promotes commercial-scale peanut production.

One possible project, Escandor said, is the “Technology Promotion of Promising Varieties of Peanut under Coco-Based Areas in Sorsogon City,” which applies new technologies on the commercial production of peanuts under coconut trees.

This agricultural productivity initiative is among the technology commercialization projects of the DA in Bicol that has been identified as having the potential to succeed due to its high impact and social and economic benefits, he added.