# Baby Porridge — 6–59-Month Complementary Food

**Status:** Design study. Not manufactured, not clinically/paediatrically reviewed. Figures are calculated targets subject to assay.

**This is a complementary food for children aged 6–59 months — NOT infant formula and NOT a breast-milk replacement.** It sits *beside* continued breastfeeding. Development and any deployment require paediatric oversight.

Architecture follows the current **UNICEF Super Cereal Plus**.

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## 1. Formulation

| Ingredient | % |
|---|---:|
| Extruded maize | 54.81 |
| Dehulled, heat-treated soya | 23.49 |
| Skim milk powder | 8.00 |
| Sugar | 9.00 |
| Refined vegetable oil | 3.00 |
| Infant / child vitamin–mineral premix | 0.20 |
| Dicalcium phosphate | 1.23 |
| Potassium chloride | 0.27 |
| **Total** | **100.00** |

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## 2. Finished-product targets (UNICEF)

| Per 100 g | Minimum |
|---|---:|
| Energy | 400 kcal |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Fat | 9 g |

The **skim milk powder** lifts protein quality (casein is lysine-rich and complements soya's limiting sulfur amino acids) and supplies intrinsic calcium; the child premix covers the micronutrient profile appropriate to 6–59 months. Calcium and phosphorus are topped up with dicalcium phosphate; potassium via KCl.

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## 3. The "just add water" caveat

UNICEF's standard Super Cereal Plus **still requires 5–10 minutes of simmering**. To make an *instant* version the product needs:

1. More complete starch gelatinisation (extrusion tuned for cold reconstitution);
2. A **validated microbial kill step**;
3. A reconstitution/mixing test at the intended porridge consistency;
4. A shelf-life study.

It must **not** simply be relabelled as instant. For infants and young children this is a safety requirement, not a marketing preference.

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## 4. Safety, allergens, regulatory

- **Allergens:** contains **soya** and **milk**. Declare cereal/gluten cross-contact for shared lines.
- **Aflatoxin control** on maize and soya inputs is mandatory (young children are the most vulnerable group); include aflatoxin M1 control on the milk input.
- HACCP plan; per-batch micronutrient QC; heavy-metal testing.
- Fortification set on a **paediatric** basis with explicit checks against child upper limits (vitamin A, iron, zinc) at realistic daily intake.
- Positioned and labelled as a **complementary food beside breastfeeding**, consistent with SA R991 and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes — not marketed as a breast-milk substitute or a "smart food."
- Requires paediatric / dietetic sign-off before any feeding trial.

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*Ship order: this is the SECOND product, after the family maize–soya meal and before any 0–6-month infant formula. Reference: UNICEF Super Cereal Plus specification.*