Researchers from Rovuma University (UniRovuma) recently announced an innovation in the field of food security: the development of a cassava flour enriched with essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and vitamins, capable of significantly improving the nutrition of populations, especially children.

This research was carried out by young academics from the university, who sought local and sustainable solutions to combat malnutrition.

According to Professor Mário Jorge Caetano Brito dos Santos, rector of the institution, "cassava flour has an acceptable caloric value, but low nutritional value. We were able to enrich it using low-cost natural elements, many of which are normally discarded as waste," he explained.

Quoted in a Rigor NewspaperThe rector of UniRovuma stressed that the product has a high potential for strengthening the physical and cognitive development of those who consume it. "Children who eat this flour develop stronger bones, a better ability to concentrate and adequate brain growth. It's a concrete contribution by Mozambican science to public health," he said.

UniRovuma has already registered the formula as the institution's intellectual property and is now inviting the government, the private sector and society in general to adopt the product. "Our mission is to research and come up with solutions. It's up to the state and entrepreneurs to take this product to a national scale," said the rector.

The enriched flour joins other products and prototypes developed by the university, such as anatomical models created by students to support teaching in secondary and elementary school. "We have prototypes of the respiratory system, digestive system, brain... all made with local materials. The private sector should invest in this, instead of importing educational materials from abroad," he appealed.

UniRovuma is thus reinforcing its commitment to applied science, the valorization of local products and the fight against malnutrition. "The knowledge we produce must be at the service of the people. The university only fulfills its role when it is rooted in the national reality," he said.

(Photo DR)