Refugee Insect Production for Food and Feed: the School Meal Intervention

The School Meal Intervention: the Effect of Yellow Mealworm-enriched Maize Porridge on Nutrition and Health Status of 6-9-year-old Children

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to assess whether edible insect-enriched school porridge has nutrition and health benefits for children aged 6-9 years in refugee communities in Uganda.

The main question the research aims to answer is: Does a daily serving of maize porridge enriched with yellow mealworm flour improve the gut health, growth, and micronutrient status of children in comparison to a standard maize porridge?

Participants will:

Consume a daily serving of yellow mealworm porridge or a maize porridge for one school term (3 months). Data is collected before, during and after the intervention period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children in Primary 1 in Bukere and Kako primary school
• Age: 6-9 years
• Child can eat insects
• Written informed consent given by parent/caregiver

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe acute malnutrition measured as MUAC < 13.5 cm
• Known allergies related to consuming insects
• Disability that impedes eating capacity
• Disability that makes height assessment problematic
• Family plans to move away or deregister child from Kako and Bukere primary schools within the school term.