The question, "What is supplementary food called?" has multiple answers because the terminology depends heavily on the specific application, audience, and product form. While the term supplementary food can be a general, catch-all phrase, more specific names are used in different fields, such as dietary supplements, complementary foods for infants, and specialized nutritious foods used in humanitarian efforts. Understanding these distinctions is key to correctly identifying and using these nutritional products.
Dietary and Nutritional Supplements
For the general population, the most common term for supplementary food is dietary supplement or nutritional supplement. These are manufactured products designed to add nutrients to a person's diet and are typically sold in pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid forms. They are used when an individual's diet is lacking in certain essential nutrients. People who are pregnant, older, or have restrictive diets may use these to fill nutritional gaps.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Examples include multivitamins, calcium tablets for bone health, or iron supplements for anemia.
- Oil Supplements: Fish oil capsules are a popular example, providing essential fatty acids.
- Herbal Supplements: These include a wide range of plant-based products marketed for various health benefits.
- Protein Powders: Often used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to increase protein intake.
Complementary and Weaning Foods for Infants
In the context of infant feeding, food introduced alongside breast milk is called complementary food or weaning food. This transition period typically begins around six months of age, when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet a baby's nutritional needs. The foods are provided in incremental amounts, moving from purees to chopped family foods as the child develops. The FAO emphasizes using the term 'complementary feeding' to avoid confusion with ending breastfeeding.
- Initial Weaning Foods: These often consist of single-grain cereals like rice or mashed, pureed vegetables.
- Finger Foods: As the baby gets used to textures, soft foods that can be held are introduced, such as cooked carrots or soft fruits.
- Protein-Rich Foods: Mashed meat, egg yolks, and legumes can be introduced between 6 and 8 months of age.
Specialized Nutritious Food for Humanitarian Aid
In emergency relief and programs addressing malnutrition, specific products are used and referred to as Specialized Nutritious Food. The World Food Programme utilizes several types to improve nutritional intake for vulnerable populations, especially children.
- Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF): These are nutrient-dense pastes, often peanut-based, used to treat moderate malnutrition. Examples include Plumpy'Doz and Plumpy Sup, which can be eaten directly from their sachets.
- Fortified Blended Foods (FBFs): These are blends of partially precooked and milled cereals, fortified with vitamins and minerals. They are typically cooked into a porridge.
- Micronutrient Powders: A tasteless powder containing vitamins and minerals that can be sprinkled onto home-prepared food.
- High Energy Biscuits (HEBs): Wheat-based biscuits providing a quick source of fortified nutrients, used in the early stages of an emergency.
Fortified Foods and Supplemented Foods
Another category related to supplementary nutrition is fortified food. These are regular food products that have had specific nutrients added to them. Unlike supplements, which are taken separately, the nutrients in fortified foods are integrated into a food item you would normally consume. Examples include iron-fortified cereals and vitamin D-fortified milk. In Canada, the term supplemented foods is also used for prepackaged foods with added ingredients for purposes other than nutrition, such as energy drinks with added caffeine and vitamins.
Comparison of Supplementary Food Types
| Feature | Dietary Supplements | Complementary Foods | Specialized Nutritious Foods (e.g., RUSF) | Fortified Foods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Pills, capsules, powders, liquids | Purees, mashes, finger foods, liquids | Nutrient-dense pastes, fortified cereals, powders | Standard food products (e.g., milk, cereals) |
| Purpose | To fill specific nutritional gaps in a healthy adult's diet | To introduce solid foods and nutrients as infants grow | To prevent or treat malnutrition in specific populations | To address widespread nutrient deficiencies in a population |
| Target | General population, pregnant individuals, elderly, etc. | Infants aged 6 to 23 months | Malnourished children and vulnerable groups in emergencies | The general population consuming specific food staples |
| Context | Personal health maintenance and specific conditions | Infant and child development during the transition from milk | Humanitarian aid and public health programs | Public health initiatives and consumer goods |
The Role of Context in Naming
The reason for the varied terminology is context. For a health-conscious adult, a multivitamin is a dietary supplement. For a new parent, a baby puree is a complementary food. For a humanitarian worker, a ready-to-use paste is specialized nutritious food. These terms have evolved to be specific to the circumstances and regulatory frameworks governing them. For instance, the regulations governing a 'dietary supplement' sold at a pharmacy are different from those for 'complementary food' for infants, which face stricter norms for food safety.
To ensure clarity and accuracy, it's best to use the most specific term possible for a particular product. In a general discussion, 'supplementary food' can be used, but understanding the different applications and their specific names demonstrates a deeper level of knowledge about nutrition and public health. For more on the different types of products used in food assistance, you can consult the World Food Programme website.(https://www.wfp.org/specialized-nutritious-food)
Conclusion
Ultimately, there is no single name for supplementary food. Instead, the term acts as an umbrella for a variety of products, each with a distinct name and purpose. For general wellness, it's a dietary supplement. For an infant, it's complementary food. For global aid, it’s a specialized nutritious food like RUSF. The specific term you use depends on the context, but the underlying purpose remains the same: to provide essential nutrients that a regular diet might lack.
