e’Pap is a maize/soya based vitamin and mineral enriched instant cereal that is recommended as a nutritional weight-gain supplement for children from the age 6 months.
The role of e’Pap is to:
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Maximise energy levels and enhance immune systems to fight off opportunistic diseases
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Promote better concentration and a sense of well being
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Make it easier for children to cope with everyday schooling
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Alleviate hunger, the worst depressant in everyday life.
The Facts
In South Africa
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1 in 10 infants die during the first 12 months from birth, chiefly from starvation.
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1 in 5 SA children suffer from chronic malnutrition.
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Around 12 cases of Marasmus or Kwashiorkor have been seen every month.
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1 in 10 children admitted to Africa’s largest hospital, Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwaneth, suffers from severe malnutrition.
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50% of the 3120 children in a national food consumption survey were found to have less than half the recommended levels of the essential nutrients, calcium, iron and zinc in their diets.
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According to government estimation, around 75% of South Africans have inadequate access to food.
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National food consumption figures show that more than 1 in 5 Toddlers are physically stunted due to malnutrition. Worst affected are children aged 1 – 3.
Short-term effects of malnutrition
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Listlessness and short attention span
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Dehydration
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Hypothermia
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Low blood sugar levels
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Potassium and magnesium deficiencies
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Susceptibility to bacterial infections
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Long-term effects
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Stunted growth
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Susceptible to disease and early death
Diseases due to Malnutrition
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MARASMUS is caused by a severe lack of protein and calories - Children look like pot-bellied skeletons; and have virtually no fat and little muscle
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KWASHIORKOR is caused by a severe lack of protein and nutrients - Chubby children are sometimes thought to be healthy, but are in fact bloated
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Loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss
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Dry, cracked skin, brittle hair
The Importance of Omega 6 Fatty Acids in e'Pap
e'Pap's production process is unique in that the e'Pap is manufactured from a full fat maize and a full fat soya bean. Most food processes using these raw materials will use a de-fatted cereal grain because of the problem of the cereal fat going rancid. Omega 6 fatty acids contain several double bonds. As a result they will readily oxidize to peroxides which have an undesirable biological effect. This peroxidising effect means that the fatty acids will quickly become rancid when exposed to the air at room temperature and can seriously spoil the flavours, odour and stability of food products.
The e'Pap production process has developed a unique process to address this problem. This e'Pap process allows us to incorporate the naturally occurring Omega 6 Fatty Acids found in both maize and soya.
The cereal fats have a high nutrient value and it is for this reason that we have developed a technology to preserve the cereal fats in the maize and the soya.
Both maize and soya cereal fats are rich in Linolenic acid which is the simplest of the omega 6 fatty acids.
Importance of Omega 6 Fatty Acids in Nutrition
Omega 6 Fatty Acids act both as a concentration energy carrier and as a starting material for the synthesis of arachidonic acid. It is an important component of phospholipids in the cell membrane and the lipoproteins. An important function of omega 6 fatty acids is the synthesis of eicosanoids which have a regulatory action in varies tissues cells. The eicosanoids also play a role in immunological processes and inhibit inflammation. Omega 6 fatty acids are important for brain growth in children.
Deficiency symptoms that result from Omega 6 Fatty Acids emerge quickly because of the high requirement for growth and the limited stores in babies and young children. A lack of Omega 6 leads to retarded growth, increased susceptibility in infections, skin changes and to disturbed function of the capillaries, Thrombocyte aggregation is increased and thrombocytoenia, anemia, fatty degeneration of the liver and impaired wound healing may occur.
Risk groups for an inadequate supply of essential fatty acids include premature babies and babies not breast fed and persons with disturbed fat absorption and alcoholics. There is also an increased requirement for essential fatty acids after severe accidents. It is speculated that this requirement also increases in certain diseases.
The Cost
For as little as 60c (South African) per day a child can be fed
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