Based on a World Health Organization Expert Consultation on Complementary Feeding

Plant-based complementary foods are the main source ofnutrients for many young children in developing coun-tries. They may, however, present problems in providingnutritionally adequate and safe diets for older infantsand young children. The high starch content leads tolow-nutrient diets that are bulky and dense, with highlevels of antinutritive factors such as phytates, tannins,lectins, and enzyme inhibitors. Phytates impair mineralbioavailability, lectins interfere with intestinal structure,and enzyme inhibitors inhibit digestive enzymes. In addi-tion, there is often microbial contamination, which leadsto diarrhea, growth-faltering, and impaired development,and the presence of chemical contaminants may lead toneurological disease and goiter. The fact that some fruitscontaining carotenoids are only available seasonallycontributes to the vulnerability of children receiving pre-dominantly plant-based diets. Traditional household foodtechnologies have been used for centuries to improve thequality and safety of complementary foods. These includedehulling, peeling, soaking, germination, fermentation,and drying. While modern communities tend to rejectthese technologies in favor of more convenient fast-foodpreparations, there is now a resurgence of interest in oldertechnologies as a possible means of improving the qual-ity and safety of complementary foods when the basicdiet cannot be changed for economic reasons. This paperdescribes the biology, safety, practicability, and acceptabil-ity of these traditional processes at the household or com-munity level, as well as the gaps in research, so that moreeffective policies and programs can be implemented toimprove the quality and safety of complementary foods.