Research

Mixed

Current statistical estimates of protein consumption in Africa likely overestimate actual intake due to post-harvest and cooking losses, meaning the severity of protein deficiency is greater than reported disappearance data suggests.

Do not rely solely on national average protein statistics to assess your personal risk. If you live in an area with poor storage or frequent power outages, actual protein intake is likely lower than official reports suggest. Prioritize accessible, shelf-stable protein sources or frequent small meals.

GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
The disappearance values often overestimate consumption as it counts the food that exists in the marketplace and does not take into consideration what is lost throughout the system... slaughter loss... bone loss, trimming loss, and cooking losses would significantly decrease the amount of product truly consumed.
Hettie C. Schönfeldt et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2012

Why this rating

The paper cites specific examples (US data comparison) and logical deductions about food systems.

Source

Dietary protein quality and malnutrition in Africa

Hettie C. Schönfeldt et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2012

DOI 10.1017/s0007114512002553

narrative_reviewCited 212×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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