**2.2 Fortification of local foods with vegetables**

Most popular traditional foods, especially the starch-based local foods in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin are not good suppliers of critical micronutrients, thus establishing the need for food fortification, especially for foods targeted at growing children and

*Potential of Indigenous Vegetable-Fortified Food Products for Improved Human Nutrition… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105996*

vulnerable populations. Newborn babies, especially in the rural areas (65% of the population in Nigeria) are fed with a popular maize-based weaning food, called "*ogi*". In addition, some of the most cherished snacks and desserts, eaten by children and adults, were considered for fortification. Thus, our project developed and tested key innovative value-added products, including vegetable leaf-fortified bread and popular local pastry products (cookies and *Chinchin*). The MicroVeg project conducted a series of studies aimed at improving these traditional foods with each of the three leafy vegetables (amaranth, fluted pumpkin, or African eggplant), including the sensory evaluation and acceptability studies. Green leafy vegetables were chosen as a fortificant because of the abundant bioactive components, polyphenols, that have the potential to defend the human body against degenerative diseases [11, 12]. Ongoing studies by the MicroVeg team have generated results that suggest food fortification with these vegetables could have a significant effect on lowering of blood pressure [13], as well as increasing nutritional and antioxidative properties of the fortified foods [14, 15].
