Street food is a common source of food eaten outside the home in developing countries. The contribution of street foods to the daily nutrient intake has not been adequately addressed in dietary assessment research, in spite of its universality. To establish a base of knowledge regarding street foods from a nutritional standpoint, a three month pilot study was conducted in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, during the fall of 1983. One hundred forty-six street food items were identified and classified. Market unit size, cost and caloric and protein values per market unit were determined. A food frequency questionnaire was developed and administered to Haitian secondary school children from varied school tuition categories to assess their street food consumption. Results revealed a wide range of consumption frequencies. The average consumption of calories and protein for the 174 person sample were found to be 401 kcalories and 5.8g of protein. Significant differences in consumption values were found between socioeconomic levels. Little variation was found between age groups. Street food consumption was found to contribute 18% of the recommended dietary allowance for the Caribbean for calories and 15% for protein. Based on a daily nutrient intake of 1580 kcalories and 37g of protein for urban school children, 25% of the calories and 16% of the protein in the overall diet were found to be provided by street foods. / Master of Science

Thesis (M. Sc. (Dietetics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Background: Most school food environments in low socioeconomic countries offer cheaper unhealthy snacks of low nutritional value. Generally, these defeat the aims and goals of the National School Nutrition Programmes that offers nutritionally balanced meals to enhance concentration and learning. These unhealthy snacks that are available in school food environments have the ability to promote food choices that may lead to early onset of obesity and diseases of the lifestyle. The creation of healthy school food environments should be observed as a fundamental priority and a responsibility to all stakeholders with the necessary powers. Objectives: The study explored the perspective of school vendors, learners and school governing bodies on snack sale in selected primary schools of Dimamo circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional, exploratory descriptive study was conducted on the perspectives of vendors, learners and school governing bodies on the sale of snacks in selected primary schools of Dimamo circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data were collected with 69 participants using a semi-structured questionnaire in one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions at three public schools in the Dimamo circuit. Criteria for trustworthiness were adhered to throughout the study. Ethical principles were adhered to in order to ensure the ethical standards of the study. Findings: A negative perception regarding the sale of snacks was found by both the learners and school governing bodies. However, the vendors were reluctant to raise their views with regard to the snacks sold in schools despite them being aware of the diseases experienced, such as ringworms, rash and vomiting. Improved hygiene practices and sale of healthy snacks was suggested by learners while drawing of a school food policy was seen as a last resort to improve the school food environment. Conclusion: A negative perception towards unhealthy snacks exists among the learners and teachers as they have been disruption in teaching and learning; due to random absenteeism associated with ailments allegedly caused by consumption of unhealthy snacks. However, the vendors reported learners’ preference for the sale of unhealthy snacks viii over the healthy ones due to cost. Furthermore,the vendors reported that the provision of free fruits by the NSNP in school was a challenge. Lack of cooperation, accountability and responsibility amongst the School Governing Bodies (SGB) and vendors were a barrier to facilitating a healthy food environment.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Applied Science in Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Introduction: South Africa, like many other developing countries, is challenged by malnutrition among children. Globally, the nutritional status of children is a cause for great concern. The nutritional shift towards diets laden with sugar, fat and salt contribute towards the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Snacking plays a pivotal role in the diets of children; however, the consumption of unhealthy snacks or ‘junk’ food poses a serious risk to a child’s nutritional well-being. Moringa oleifera was selected for snack food development in this study, as this plant is a significant source of nutrients. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the snacking preferences of children (grades 4-7 in four schools in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, in order to develop a sensory acceptable snack enhanced with Moringa oleifera. Methodology: Two hundred primary school children between grades 4-7 were selected through stratified random sampling of schools in Verulam, KZN, South Africa through informed consent to participate in this study. In addition, ten parents/caregivers formed part of the preliminary study to determine the snacking habits of children in the selected grades. This information was reported in the form of themes. A Snack Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ) was administered to children for the sole purpose of determining snacking preferences. This was supplemented by an observational study to assist with identifying the most frequent tuck shop purchases. Thereafter, once the top three snack items were identified, the main study continued with the development of a healthy snack, through three cooking trials before an appropriate product was developed. The final product was made using three different amounts of dried Moringa leaves (1g Moringa, 2g Moringa and 3g Moringa per 22g portion) in a maize chip. The developed product was then subjected to nutrient testing in order to determine the vitamin A, zinc, iron and calcium content of the three different variants. The carbohydrate, fat, energy and sodium values were calculated by using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) International standardised methods. Microbiological and shelf life testing were also conducted to ensure the chips were safe for human consumption. Consumer acceptance sensory evaluation was conducted among the children (n=100) to determine the most preferred amount of Moringa leaf in the snack food item (either 1g of Moringa or 2g Moringa). To determine which of the two variants (sample 1 containing 1g of Moringa and sample 2 containing 2g Moringa) was preferred, two variants of the product were sampled by the participants; samples were coded in order to prevent bias. Results: Overall, the results from the focus group study revealed that children consumed snacks frequently and were given money regularly to purchase snack items from the school tuck shop. Price was a trend noted in factors that affect snack selection. The parents/caregivers responded positively towards purchasing a snack that was nutrient-rich. However, it was noted that the price should be reasonable. Results of the SFFQ indicated that the most popular snack items were chips, cold drinks and sweets; therefore these items were reviewed to determine the most viable option for further development. It was decided by the researcher and the supervisor that chips would be the snack item enhanced with three different amounts of Moringa. The consumer acceptance sensory evaluation comprised two chip samples (123 and ABC). The results of the consumer acceptance sensory evaluation showed that sample ABC (2g Moringa/22g serving) was preferred to sample 123 (1g Moringa/22g serving) for most of the sensory attributes (taste and texture). The Moringa chips (both samples) contain almost half the amount of sodium (52.8mg) when compared to a popular corn chip brand (100mg). Moringa chips contained almost less than 1 gram of fat compared to 8 grams of fat found in the corn chips children usually consume. One portion (22g) of the Moringa chips contributes a significant amount of non-haem iron (57.89%, 48.25% and 35.61% for sample 1, 2 and 3 respectively) for females aged between 9-13 years old. Conclusion: Moringa chips (2g/22g serving) received a positive response from children in the sample population. The use of indigenous plants such as Moringa, could be beneficial in food based strategies aimed at addressing malnutrition. Recommendations: This study concluded that food based strategies such as the development of the Moringa chips, should be considered as a means to create a healthy option for children in low socio-economic schools. / M

En el presente trabajo se muestra un estudio de prefactibilidad para la implementación de una planta procesadora de snacks de oca frita donde se evalúa la viabilidad técnica, económica y de mercado. / In this work is showed a study of pre-feasibility for the implementation of a processing plant to produce fried yam snacks where the technical, economic and market viability is assessed. / Trabajo de investigación