Hettie Schonfeldt

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• PhD Nutrition
• Professor at University of Pretoria

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in South Africa provides thousands of needy children with school meals on school days. One, and in some cases 2, of these meals per week are soya based. A review of the NSNP revealed that many children do not eat on those days because they find the soya mince meal unappetising. As the meal served withi...

Introduction Understanding the affordability of healthy eating has always been a critical question but has escalated in importance considering the global context of more recent soaring food prices and the worsening of food and nutrition security indicators since the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost and afforda...

Introduction Bambara groundnut (BGN) is an underutilised, indigenous crop in sub-Saharan Africa. As an underutilised crop the nutritional contribution it can make is not well researched and documented. This study aims to better understand the nutritional profile and protein quality of BGN and the potential of this legume to combat food and nutritio...

High-quality food composition data are indispensable for improved decision-making in food security, health policy formulation, food labeling, diet formulation, agricultural policymaking, nutrition research, and many other nutrition-related activities. The optimisation of dietary patterns is a powerful tool to reduce the impact of malnutrition on a...

Bambara groundnut (BG) (Vigna subterranean) is an underutilized, indigenous crop in South Africa that has nutritional and associated health benefits. Decreasing the antinutrients in food sources can potentially increase the digestibility of proteins and mineral absorption. To determine the effect of traditional processing (cooking) on the antinutri...

An African Vice-Chancellors' Regional Food Systems Dialogue was hosted with the aim to provide a multi-stakeholder platform for stakeholders to explore various existing and emerging approaches that have the potential to deliver sustainable solutions at scale and encourage collaborative actions to directly transform Africa's agriculture and food sys...

South Africa has a progressive human settlements policy that makes provision for the in-situ upgrading of informal settlements, aimed towards the holistic integration of informal settlements into the urban and socio-economic fabric of cities. However, the rising number of informal settlements and the dissatisfaction amongst informal settlement dwel...

The paucity of literature on the influence of land tenure across a range of food insecurity outcomes may impede a complete analysis in developing countries. This paper examines the association between land tenure and food security among 1434 sampled smallholders from the Nigeria Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (...

Purpose: Edible flowers have traditionally been consumed for their nutritional and medicinal properties. Aponogeton distachyos is an aquatic flowering plant native to the Western Cape of South Africa (SA) that used to be a wild plant gathered during the winter months, but it is now considered to be underutilised and endangered. Our study aims at ga...

The rapidly growing global population emphasises the need for high-yielding, sustainable, yet nutritious food crops, which produce consistent yields under varying agricultural conditions. There are various critical research hypotheses that propose solutions for this scenario with some of the main focus areas being crop management and precision farm...

Indigenous food systems ensure ecological and socio-economic sustainability but remain marginalized in science and policy. We argue that better documentation, deeper understanding, and political recognition of indigenous knowledge can help transform food systems.

The marama bean (Fig. 1), encompassing both Tylosema esculentum and T. fassoglense, has been identified as an orphan crop of southern Africa with great potential for commercialisation, as it is high in proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals, as well as high levels of starch in the tubers. Various medicinal properties of the marama bean seeds and...

Most farmers in Nigeria are food-insecure smallholders without secure land tenure. Children growing up in these households may be at higher risk of malnutrition. However, there is a paucity of evidence of the effect of land tenure on child nutrition. The present paper examines whether smallholders' mode of land acquisition and tenure documentation...

Protein content was determined using both the nitrogen to protein conversion factor of 6.25 and the summation of amino acids for four of the potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) most commonly consumed in South Africa. Protein content for the cultivars varied between 1.65 g/100 g and 2.14 g/100 g fresh-weight when using protein conversion and 1.6...

Objectives The objectives of this study were to ascertain whether the nutrient requirements of 6–11-month-old infants can be met with a food-based approach, and to identify the nutrients of which it is difficult to achieve adequate intakes. Design, setting and subjects A cross-sectional survey and interviews with mothers and caregivers from the Kw...

Poor diets are responsible for more of the global burden of disease than sex, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco combined. Without good health, food security, and nutrition, development is unsustainable. How food is grown, distributed, processed, marketed, and sold determines which foods are available, affordable, and acceptable within the local cultural...

The frequency of some major mycotoxins in marker tissues (liver and kidney) and in muscle tissue of slaughter pigs and cattle, obtained from registered abattoirs in South Africa, was studied. Samples of each three bovine carcasses were obtained from two abattoirs, and samples of three porcine carcasses were from a third abattoir. All samples origin...

Dietary fats may affect blood lipid levels and the development of cardiovascular diseases. Offal, may contribute to food security in marginalised communities and information on the contribution to dietary fat intake is needed to inform dietary guidelines and recommendations and consumers. This study aimed to describe the fatty acid profile, cholest...

The popularity of honey as a high-valued commodity is growing and consequently, honey adulteration is on the rise affecting the honey quality. The quality of the honey on the South African market was evaluated using the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 as assessment tool. Various physico-chemical characteristics were tested which indicated...

Freshly harvested Bambara groundnut (BGN) is occasionally consumed raw and can potentially become infected with mycotoxingenic field fungi. In this study, BGN samples were obtained from 12 farms in three districts of Mpumalanga in South Africa. Eight pooled samples were screened for multi-mycotoxin contamination using Ultra Performance Liquid-Chrom...

Food composition data are useful throughout the food system for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, improved processing methods that ensure greater nutrient retention in foods, nutrition labelling, and to inform, educate and protect consumers through food-based dietary guidelines, nutrition education and communication, and legislation.

‘Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food’. Although it is debatable whether Hippocrates (460- c. 370 BC) actually spoke these words, scholars today agree that quality of life depends in part on the food choices that are made every day. While agriculture provides the food that humanity requires, agricultural landscapes are becoming in...

This book offers an essential, comprehensive, yet accessible reference of contemporary food security discourse and guides readers through the steps required for food security analysis. Food insecurity is a major obstacle to the development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is a complex issue that cuts across traditional sect...

Key messages • Reliable good-quality composition data of foods for human consumption are critical resources for a variety of applications. • These data are required for a spectrum of users ranging from international to national, regional, household, and individual levels. • In general, data obtained on food intake by individuals, or groups of indiv...

Sport supplements classified as foods (and not as medicine) must contain specified amounts and qualities of protein before a prescribed list of health-benefit claims may be made on labels or in marketing activities. The objective of the current study was to investigate the protein composition and quality of high-protein sports supplements currently...

Despite the rich biodiversity of the African continent and the tremendous progress so far made in food production, Africa is still struggling with the problems of food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition. To combat these problems, the production and consumption of nutritious and safe foods need to be promoted. This cannot be achieved without reliab...

Abstracts in English and Afrikaans. Summaries in English. Thesis (M.Sc.(Home Economics))--University of Pretoria, 1989. Bibliography: leaves 211-220. Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/99704

Objective To analyse the policy process for the South African regulation setting upper limits for salt in thirteen commonly consumed food categories, to inform future policy action for prevention of non-communicable diseases. Design Semi-structured interviews ( n 10) were conducted with key stakeholders from government, academia, non-governmental...

Introduction: Infant health and nutrition in South Africa are a priority, as evidenced by the political commitment and policy development history of the last 25 years. Current efforts focus on improving breastfeeding rates, but the action plan for complementary feeding receives less attention and resourcing. A thorough analysis of the current infan...

The paradox of persistent under‐nutrition and food insecurity; as well as the increasing the incidence of over nutrition is particularly observed in middle –income countries experiencing rapid westernisation such as South Africa (SA). Values of household Food insecurity remains high, whereas overweight and obesity are increasing at a rapid rate. Ag...

With the revision of the South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) a new guideline specifically recommending the daily consumption of dairy products including maas (cultured milk) was introduced. This paper aims to evaluate the relevance of including maas as a traditional food product in the FBDGs. It was found that maas is a culturally r...

Bioavailability aims to describe the effect of metabolic events on nutrient utilization. The supply of nutrients to the human body depends not only on the amount of a nutrient in food but also on its bioavailability. The bioavailability of nutrients is highly variable and can be influenced by numerous factors. Different nutrients (including protein...

Policy for the complex burden of malnutrition in Africa: a research agenda to bring consumers and supply chains together - Anne Marie Thow, Hettie Schönfeldt, Riette deKock, Annemarie Viljoen, Gerrie duRand, Gerda Gericke, Joel Negin

Regular consumption of red meat is often considered detrimental to human health due, among other factors, to a perceived unhealthy fatty acid profile. With production systems intensifying globally, grain‐fed beef from feedlots are dominating market shelves within westernized countries. Although grass fed beef is considered to be a healthier alterna...

Most governments have committed to the set of Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations (UN) to be achieved by 2030. Subsequently the governments have drafted, or are in process of drafting, policies and programmes which aim to answer to these global requests. South Africa provides a unique case study: despite economic growth,...

Objectives: The objective of the study was to identify child factors that influenced complementary feeding practices in 2006 and 2011 in Uganda. Design: Trend analysis of Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS) from 2006 and 2011. Subjects and setting: Children aged 6 to 23 months, Uganda. Results: Between 2006 and 2011, the percentage of chil...

Objective: Different fatty acids elicit different responses in the human body once ingested. Although red meat is often considered to be a source of fatty acids which has a negative impact on human health, many studies have reflected variability in the quantity and quality of fatty acids found in red meat produced on different production systems in...

Biodiversity is considered a critical measure of the agricultural health of the world. Not only does increased biodiversity contribute to nutrient production and consumption, but it acts as a safeguard against food shortages due to pests and diseases by spreading the risk. Biodiversity can improve dietary diversity in such a way to ultimately contr...

ABSTRAT There is a global increase in the production, processing and consumption of potatoes, especially in developing countries. The scale of the different varieties available today has led to a demand by end users to have some indication of fit for purpose. Reliable, scientifically validated objective methods are needed to group potatoes in order...

The FAO/WHO Expert Consultation Report (1998) recommended that both the chemical composition and physiological effect of food carbohydrates, including Glycaemic Index (GI), should be considered in guiding healthy food choices. Towards this end a rapid assessment method was developed to aid the food industry during product development, mainly for sc...

One serious concern of health policymakers in South Africa is the fact that there is no national data on the dietary intake of adult South Africans. The only national dietary study was done in children in 1999. Hence, it becomes difficult to plan intervention and strategies to combat malnutrition without national data on adults. The current review...

The South African consumer market is characterised by socio-economic and cultural diversity. Food expenditure patterns, behaviour and preferences differ significantly between the various socio-economic sub-groups. Packaging information, including red meat classification information, could be an important tangible resource used by consumers to gauge...

The place for sports supplements within the current South African legislative framework is currently in discussion. The Department of Health Directorate: Food Control and the Complementary Medicines Council (CMC)’s negotiations on the proposed amendment to the General Regulations Made in Terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965...

Red meat often evokes a wide array of complex and contradictory arguments. It is viewed as the most expensive component of any diet, supplying many essential nutrients as part of a healthy, prudent eating plan. Yet, red meat is non-homogenous, unique to each country, and continually changing in composition. It is observed that the amount of fat on...

Feeding systems, slaughter age and other production techniques notably influence the nutrient content of red meat. The modernization of the different South African production systems since the previous nutrient composition studies, justifies the necessity to update existing knowledge on the nutritional profile of South African produced beef. In add...

This study provides data on the total and haem iron contents in raw lean beef, chicken, lamb and pork meat samples. Total iron, expressed as mg/100g edible portion on fresh weight basis in raw lean beef (A-age), lamb, pork and chicken average 1.58, 1.64, 0.81 and 0.78 respectively. The haem iron content in beef (A-age), lamb, pork and chicken are 7...

Increased economic incentive for producing young and leaner carcasses, as well as demand for lean meat from progressively health conscious consumers, are considered drivers for change in carcass composition over time. Furthermore, many retailers trim visible fat from meat to various degrees and consumers increasingly remove visible fat from meat pr...

Climate change represents a feedback-loop in which livestock production both contributes to the problem and suffers from the consequences. The impact of global warming and continued, uncontrolled release of greenhouse gasses (GHG) has twofold implications for the livestock industry, and consequently food security. Firstly, the continuous increase i...

In most cited food composition studies and tables, the proximate system measures protein as total nitrogen (N) (determined by Kjeldahl or Dumas method) multiplied by a specific factor. A factor of 6.25 is used for determining total protein from total N (Jones, Munsey, & Walker, 1942). Although more expensive, it is considered more accurate to base...

Food-based dietary guidelines are often developed at country level to assist in bringing dietary intakes closer to nutrient intake goals and, ultimately, to prevent nutrition-related diseases. However, high food prices, alongside growing inflation, increasingly restrict food choices. This can leave those who are already vulnerable and less well off...

Insufficient and imbalanced nutrition is prevalent within the developing world and negatively affects people's health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. Despite economic development moving South Africa from a developing to an emerging economy, micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent and primarily affect vulnerable groups such as...

Although South Africa is food secure as a nation, many households remain food insecure. The government has recognized several key food security challenges in the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS). However, South Africa still lacks specific and accepted methods to measure food security and currently has no regulated way of monitoring the food...

Background: Limited scientific information is available on the eating quality of potato cultivars in South Africa. This study aimed to determine, describe and compare the eating quality of three potato cultivars from two production regions (dry land and irrigated land) in South Africa, through sensory and physical evaluation. Sensory descriptors w...

Food products from animals provide a variety of macro- and micronutrients. Animal sources of food, such as fish, chicken, meat and eggs, constitute high-quantity and high-quality protein, as they contain essential amino acids in the right proportions. In South Africa, eight micronutrients, namely vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitam...

Throughout the ages the quest for food and drink has influenced humanity’s economic, social and political development, and played a role in the organization of society and history. Nutrition (or what we choose to consume) influences the health of human beings and therefore their quality of life. Animal source foods are often the dietary component t...

The WHO (2007) Technical report on protein and amino-acid requirements in human nutrition states that the best estimate for a population average requirement is 105 mg nitrogen/kg body weight per day, or 0.66 g protein/kg body weight per day. In many developing countries protein intake falls significantly short of these values. Apart from protein qu...

More than one billion people globally suffer from the consequences of hunger, with nearly the same number affected by overweight, obesity and diet-related ill-health. Diets low in variety but high in energy contribute to the rising incidence of obesity and chronic diseases, increasingly also affecting developing countries. Simultaneously, globaliza...

Bone health is the resultant of bone mass, bone architecture and body mechanics. Nutrition supports all three components. A study was performed to investigate the metabolic effects of full cream UHT-milk, full cream fermented milk, a calcium supplement and water as control on calcium metabolism. All participants were subjected to all four treatment...

The WHO (2007) Technical Report on protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition states that the best estimate for a population average requirement is 105 mg nitrogen/kg body weight per day, or 0·66 g protein/kg body weight per day. In many developing countries protein intake falls significantly short of these values. Apart from protein qu...

In 2003 the Department of Health of South Africa embarked on a mandatory fortification programme of maize meal as part of a nutrition programme to alleviate malnutrition. The aim of this study was to determine the vitamin A content in fortified white maize meal and the maize porridge prepared with it as purchased and consumed. The highest mean vita...

This paper first presents food quality trends observed in the international context and the manifestation of these and other trends within the food industry. From a consumer perspective, improved knowledge on the composition and function of foods has contributed to many of the changes in these qualities. This is due to an increased demand, and a su...

Milk is a food with high nutritional benefits and is therefore considered an important source of food for all age groups. Laben (1963) reported that whole milk provides energy from carbohydrates, essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in varying amounts, brought about by both environmental and genetic differences. Not only has th...

This study aims to design an educational framework based on the utilization cycle as a food-based strategy, integrating both agricultural and nutritional components, and also to empower people to improve their food security by introducing an unknown food crop into a specific community based on an in-depth understanding of current practices using kn...

The nutrient content (proximate composition, vitamin B2, ß-carotene, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus) of 5 traditional dark green leafy vegetables, traditionally consumed by rural inhabitants of South Africa (SA), was determined in this study. The nutritional dilemma in SA, with many children and adults suffering from micronutrient de...

The intake of food is a basic human physiological need that is essential for survival, growth, health and general well-being. Without an adequate supply of food a human being cannot sustain life, grow or develop optimally, nor utilize energy. Such lack of access implies food insecurity. South Africa (SA) is classified as a developing country, with...

This book focuses on the 2007-2008 food price crisis and the ensuing financial and economic crisis (both globally and in sub-Saharan Africa), illustrating the problems using country case studies that cover their origins, effects on agriculture and rural poverty, and their underlying factors. The 13 chapters in this volume address several themes, al...

This study examined the acceptability and perceptions of traditionally prepared maize meal porridge, cooked from commercial roller-mill white maize meal and hammer-mill white and yellow maize meal (with and without fibre), among female Tsonga consumers in Giyani in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study used sensory evaluation tests, followed by...

Dorper and Mutton Merino carcasses of the C age group with a fat code 2 (±7% SCF) from three main production areas (Karoo, Kalahari and Ermelo) in South Africa were analysed in this study. The physical composition of each cut differed dramatically from the other cuts. The differences between the ten wholesale cuts when comparing the two breeds, are...

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world. Consuming foods rich in dietary iron (high in both content and availability) is an effective way to alleviate iron deficiency. Iron from animal foods is more bio-available than iron from plant sources. This is due to the heme iron content in animal foods. According...

The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement used to classify foods according to their potential for raising blood glucose levels. The GI of a foodstuff is generally measured by determining the increment in blood glucose concentration after the consumption of a test meal over a set period of time and comparing it with an isoglucosidic control meal (nor...

The juiciness and flavour characteristics of 15 aged primal beef cuts of electrically stimulated carcasses, from three different age groups, were assessed (n=61). Cooking losses were determined and proximate analyses (moisture, fat, nitrogen and ash) were performed. Tender cuts were cooked by a dry heat method, and less tender cuts were cooked by m...

The tenderness characteristics of 15 primal cuts of beef of three different age groups were assessed, and the most reliable cut to predict carcass tenderness was determined. Fifteen wholesale cuts from each age group, representing the full variation in fatness, were aged, cooked and underwent sensory evaluation, shear force resistance and proximate...

Generally, South African researchers working in the fields of nutrition and dietetics collect food intake data as a first step towards determining the nutritional status of various populations. However, on publication, the majority of the results obtained from these studies are expressed in terms of nutrient intake, whereas food intake data are eit...

The study compared the nutrient content of selected joints of South African mutton (Class C2) (n = 18) and lamb (Class A2) (n = 18) carcasses of fat code 2 in both classes. South African sheep carcasses are classified according to age by dentition: Lamb carcasses of class A2 show the ruction of no incisors and mutton carcasses of class C2 of more t...

Food quality has increasingly become one of the main drivers of food choice, and attributes such as food composition are gaining importance in product quality considerations. This paper describes food quality trends observed in the international context and the manifestation of these trends within the food industry. From a consumer's perspective, i...

This study ascertained the food product attributes prioritised by low-income and very low-income consumers when purchasing their staple food, maize meal. Survey results from 502 Gauteng respondents in three informal settlements and one formal settlement revealed the level of importance perceived for 14 predetermined attributes. The informal settlem...

Food is a basic human physiological need that is important for survival, growth, health and general well-being. Without an adequate supply of food, a human being can neither grow or develop optimally, nor utilize energy for sustained livelihood, thereby implying food insecurity. South Africa (SA) is classified as a developing country, with developi...

OPSOMMING 'n Behoeftebepaling is onderneem om die nasionale bevinding van die teenwoordigheid van voedings-probleme op kommersiële plase te bevestig. Die tei-kengroep was die jong kind (geboorte tot 10 jaar) woonagtig op die plaas, alhoewel die vroulike hoof van die huishoudings waar hierdie kinders woon die werklike informante was. Spesifieke doel...

A trained sensory panel was used to establish terminology for describing the sensory attributes of different cultivars orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and white-fleshed sweet potato (WFSP). Quantitative descriptive analysis was applied to evaluate the samples in terms of the aroma, texture, flavor and aftertaste attributes. Thirteen attributes w...

________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the primal cut composition of South African lamb carcasses with different fat scores, and to identify cuts suitable for fat trimming. Sixty grain fed Dorper lambs (rams and ewes) were divided into three groups and...

There has been a global shift of focus onto the African continent, as Africa is the only developing area in the world with increasing numbers of underweight, stunted and hungry people, while obesity rates in the more developed areas are on the increase. South Africa, faced with the consequences of the double burden of disease due to both over- and...

Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) was used to understand the relationship between 15 sensory attributes of potatoes boiled in their skins as dependent variables (Y), and six objective (chemical and physical) measurements as the independent variables (X). The ARC-Sensory Analysis Unit, at Irene, South Africa, conducted the study. A trained sens...