Malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, is the leading risk factor for child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries. 1 About 30% of the world's population has zinc deficiency ( figure ). 2 , 3 This deficiency occurs because zinc is mainly contained in foods such as red meat that are expensive and in short supply in developing countries. 2 , 4 Moreover, zinc has no tissue reserves, unlike vitamin A and iron, and its turnover is rapid, especially during common gastrointestinal infecti ...