Food security - An update for health professionals

Abstract

Objective: To compare data from 1998/99 food balance sheets with data obtained from dietary surveys in order to compare national and individual food security. Methods: Consumption data were derived by taking total production of a specific food item in the country and by subtracting the total amount used for animal feed as well as the total amount of imports and exports of the specific food item. This amount was then divided by the total population in the country, thus obtaining the per capita availability of each food item. All the per capita food items were then added and average available energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat consumption were calculated. The available per capita consumption data thus obtained were also compared with the actual nutrient intakes from published dietary surveys. Results: Both wheat and maize production have decreased in the 1990s compared with levels produced in the 1980s. Chicken and egg production have shown a consistent increase, whereas red meat production has steadily declined. South Africans, on average, eat primarily maize, followed by wheat, vegetables, milk, potatoes and sugar. For 1998/99, per capita available energy was 10 791 kJ compared with 9 772 kJ in 1993/94. Available protein was 71.5 g, fat 67.2 g and carbohydrate 419.6 g. The data compared favourably with those of 1993 except that available fat had increased by 27%. Comparison with dietary surveys revealed that black and coloured children had mean energy intakes less than the per capita available, indicating poor food security in these sectors of the population. Conclusion: Both food balance sheets and dietary surveys indicate that large sectors of the South African population are food insecure.