With the objective of checking the iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among children, the department of health, UN World Food Program (WFP), Micronutrient Initiative (MI), Population Services International (PSI) and private sector have joined hands to come up with Champion Fortified Complementary Food.

“A new, delicious, affordable, naturally fruit flavored, child nutrition product – Champion Fortified Complementary Food– has just been launched in Nepal. The product – packaged in a colorful tiger-design box – aims at improving the nutritional status and health of children throughout Nepal,” states a press release by the WFP.

Champion contains iron along with 10 other essential vitamins and minerals which are essential for childhood development and would address the problem of IDA.

“The need for an affordable alternative to expensive commercial complementary food brands is long overdue as currently over 8/10 Nepali children within the 6 to 12 month age range suffer from a condition known as iron deficiency anemia (IDA),” states the release. IDA severely affects the health, nutritional status and development of children throughout Nepal and without sufficient intake of iron through supplementation or healthy eating can lead to the long term health effects of irreversible cognitive and physical development problems and life-long reduced intellectual capacity.

The newly launched nutritious and appetizing ‘lito’ named Champion will soon be widely available for sale in pharmacies, grocery stores and other retails outlets throughout Nepal. It is packaged in 200g boxes and 20 g one-time use sachets. “The product – priced at Rs.25 for the 200g box provides an affordable alternative to commercial brands which are often priced beyond the financial reach of the majority of Nepali consumers. Champion, a wheat and soya-based ‘Lito’, is available in mixed fruit-flavor and fortified with 11 micronutrients.”

The product is part of the government’s Five Year Plan of Action for the control of anemia among women and children in Nepal. The product is targeted for infants and young children aged 6-24 months, an age group that is most affected by malnutrition and IDA.

The WFP is supporting the launch of this project to complement its activities addressing IDA in Nepal. According to WFP Representative Richard Ragan, “For us this has been a great opportunity to join hands with the private sector by supporting the design of a product that is desperately needed in Nepal. Among chefs there is a saying that too many cooks in the kitchen can yield bad results, but in this case I think everybody involved has done an outstanding job of creating something that is both healthy and tasty to eat.”