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This book is intended as a source of information for the many scientists who now enter the growing research field of vitamin A in health and disease, reviewing the epidemiological aspects related to vitamin A.

Carotenoids as Colorants and Vitamin A Precursors: Technological and Nutritional Applications presents the application of carotenoids to food and to the feed of animals, poultry, fish, and birds. This book discusses the use of carotenoids in medicine, in the coloring of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, and their unique role as photoconductors. Organized into 10 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the growing preference for natural-type colors in countries around the world. This text then examines the potential level of use of various carotenoids in a variety of foods. Other chapters consider the types of carotenoids that are added to the diet of aquatic animals, which should be selected according to the species because of varying biosynthetic capabilities and expected final pigment content. This book discusses as well the mechanisms that control the assimilation and absorption of some carotenoids. The final chapter deals with determination of vitamin A value. This book is a valuable resource for industrial chemists and aquaculturists.

Aimed at development planners and students of nutrition, public health, anthropology, and human cultural ecology, this book discusses issues surrounding the use of natural sources of food for the prevention of vitamin A deficiency. During a 2-year process guided by the Committee on Nutrition and Anthropology of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, a protocol was developed to evaluate natural food sources of vitamin A in areas at risk for vitamin A deficiency. This book describes the creation of the ethnographic research tools and their testing in a broad range of cultures and environments in five developing countries. Chapters contributed by research managers in these countries describe the suitability and reliability of the research tools, the data generated, practical applications, and directions for future policy. Many examples are given of helpful new information for planning programs at the local level for alleviating vitamin A deficiency.

'This manual presents a practical step-by-step guide for assessing various aspects of natural food sources of vitamin A within a community and is essential for any research program involved in alleviating vitamin A deficiency. Prepared in cooperation with the Committee on Nutrition and Anthropology of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, the manual describes how to set up and manage the assessment process and how to gather the essential data. Techniques are designed to answer key research questions about the local food system, about the availability of foods rich in vitamin A and their use by those at special risk of vitamin A deficiency (such as pregnant or lactating women, infants, and young children), and about cultural beliefs about food and the signs and symptoms of vitamin A deficiency'--Publisher description