How nuclear techniques can determine the protein quality of children's food to combat malnutrition

Global agrifood systems are changing rapidly, driven by factors such as climate change. These changes can have adverse ramifications in terms of both access to and the availability of nutritious foods. Low concentrations of essential nutrients, such as protein in major food crops, is one way climate change undermines nutrition security, especially among the world's most vulnerable populations, such as infants and young children. India continues to bear the brunt of the double burden of malnutrition. According to the 2022 Global Nutrition Report, 35 per cent of all children below 5 years of age are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age, while 17 per cent are wasted, meaning they are too thin for their height. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund recommend that babies should be exclusively breastfed until they are six months old, without any additional foods or fluids other than prescribed medicines. Children aged between 6–23 months are the most affected by foods deficient in essential nutrients, as this period coincides with the introduction of complementary foods in addition to breast milk. In about 80 per cent of cases in India, these foods consist of grains (cereal and legumes), while less than 20 per cent are from animal sources such as meat, fish, poultry and eggs. These plant based foods seldom supply the right balance of nutrients, especially essential amino acids needed for rapid growth and development.