The Potential of Indonesian Indigenous Functional Foods as a Sustainable Strategy for Stunting Alleviation: A Systematic Review of Quasi Experimental Research

Climate change and COVID-19: reinforcing Indigenous food systems

Undernutrition and malnutrition can have many causes such as: (1) non-avail- ability of food (2) poverty (3) poor quality of the staple food (4) ignorance (5) wrong selection of foods available. Integration of the various remedies forms the basis of a national food and nutrition policy. Starting with the availability of food such a policy would include increased agricultural production with the emphasis on various protein-rich or vitamin-rich foods that may be particularly required; prevention of losses in storage; improved preservation and distribution; the introduction of a welfare scheme for the needy groups of the population, education and food enrichment.

Understanding the process of establishing a food and nutrition policy: the case of Slovenia

This article offers a critique of indigenous food which has the potential to add many benefits and much creativity to cultural tourism. Food is one of the four requirements for human survival. The tourism industry is that in which tourists partake in the local food produce. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts the growth of the tourism industry by the year 2030 to reach 1.8 billion international tourists globally. The UNWTO further points out that most popular tourist places will specifically be those of the Asia and Pacific regions. Thailand is considered one of the most popular countries within a popular continent; however, the significant task of tourism in Thailand remains as to how to attract greater numbers of international tourists to the country. This leads us to one of the activities in which all tourists partake during their trips to Thailand, namely eating. Hence, food is an alternative tourist activity with which to specifically attract tourists. This is especially the case for indigenous food which can be presented from its cultural aspect, in addition to it being an exotic and authentic experience for visitors. This article emphasizes the indigenous food in the Andaman region of Thailand where the cuisine is mostly local Islamic food. This food is that produced by the native people in an area well-known for its Muslim community. Therefore, the local cuisine is not only presented as a food product, but also as an integral part of the culture of the native people. In other words, this local Islamic food could present the international tourist with the culture of the locals, their way of life, and the uniqueness of Thai identity through the consumption by tourist themselves. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s2p445

Food is one of the determinants and conditions of health and an inherent right of all people. The consequences of food and nutrition insecurity in the population, such as obesity, malnutrition and specific nutritional deficiencies, impact the health sector and have historically meant that it has assumed the responsibility for food and nutrition programs and policies in Brazil. However, ensuring food and nutrition security requires a combination of public policies, among which the National Food and Nutrition Policy of the Unified Health System (SUS) plays a fundamental role. This paper seeks to contribute to the debate on intersectoriality and health promotion based on presenting the National Food and Nutrition Policy and discussing its role as interface between the SUS and the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy and System. This perspective strongly suggests the combination of efforts to promote health and food and nutrition security in order to optimize initiatives developed in different sectors and accompanied by different policy councils that are not interrelated, enabling enhanced government and civil society action on the determinants of health and nutrition.

Globally, there is a growing demand for functional foods that provide health benefits without changing current dietary habits. However, the world is made up of diverse societies that consist of a wide range of individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds associated with different food choices and preferences. Functional foods resemble traditional foods but have been designed and tailored to confer physiological and health benefits that go beyond their nutritional function. Of the seven-step cycle involved in functional food production, choosing a suitable food vehicle as a carrier of the bioactive components is essential. Therefore, this review explored the importance of food vehicles and how they can influence the acceptance of functional foods. Relevant scientific literature was electronically sourced from Google Scholar, Google, PubMed, databases of the Journals of Functional Foods in Health and Disease (JFFHD) and Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease (BCHD) based on their mention or discussion of food choice and preference and food vehicles for food fortification or functional food production. These studies revealed that although functional foods are found virtually in all food categories, they are not homogeneously scattered over all segments of the growing market. Consumer demands and acceptance in terms of consumption patterns, ethnicity, culture, religion, and allergy, amongst others, need to be taken into consideration when choosing appropriate vehicles for functional food development.Keywords: food vehicles, functional foods, food fortification, food choice, food preference, fortification, phytonutrients, bioactive compounds

Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem that has serious implications for the quality of human resources in Indonesia. One potential solution is the development of affordable local food innovations based on animal protein sources, such as catfish (Clarias batrachus), which has high nutritional value and can be processed into functional food products, including extracts and shredded fish (abon). This study aimed to analyze the nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, microbiological and heavy metal safety, as well as the organoleptic acceptance of shredded catfish products based on catfish extract among mothers of under-five children. The study was conducted at the Central Laboratory of Universitas Padjadjaran and the “Bina Harapan X” Integrated Health Post (Posyandu) in Cipeundeuy Village, West Bandung. Proximate analysis was performed on both catfish extract and shredded catfish products. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH method, while safety evaluations included Escherichia coli (CFU/mL) analysis and determination of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) levels using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Organoleptic testing was carried out with 31 mother panelists who had under-five children, using a 5-point hedonic scale. The catfish extract contained 4.97% moisture, 8.91% ash, 29.87% fat, 48.85% protein, and 7.40% carbohydrates, with a total polyphenol content of 0.12% and an IC₅₀ value of 4.9724%. The shredded catfish product contained 3.32% moisture, 6.55% ash, 30.45% fat, 38.33% protein, and 21.36% carbohydrates. Safety analysis showed E. coli levels of 0 CFU/mL (safe for consumption), Pb levels of 0.3999 mg/kg, and Cd levels of 0.0312 mg/kg. Organoleptic scores for color (3.87), texture (3.97), and aroma (4.00) indicated an overall acceptance level of “liked”. Shredded catfish products based on catfish extract have high nutritional value, are safe for consumption, and are well accepted by mothers of under-five children. This product has strong potential as a local fish-based functional food to support stunting prevention efforts in the community

Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem in children. The prevalence of stunting in Indonesia in 2019 is still high, namely 27.7%, still far from the WHO standard which should be below 20%. Stunting threatens the productivity of Indonesia's human resources. Overcoming it is part of an effort to protect children. The nutritional status of pregnant women and children under five is a central point in preventing stunting. The mother's knowledge about healthy food and a nutritious, diverse, balanced, and safe diet (B2SA) determines the nutritional intake of the family. This paper is intended to reveal local functional foods that have the potential to produce healthy, healthy food to prevent stunting in the community. This paper is prepared based on a Meta-Analysis of literature studies and community good practices. The incidence of stunting in Indonesia is not caused by food security, indicators of availability and accessibility, but rather by utilization. The utilization of local food diversity, both vegetable and animal, in Indonesia has the potential to be developed into functional food as healthy food to prevent stunting. It takes knowledge, technology, and assistance for the community to develop it.

Getting the lead out: Can iron help?

Vitamin D deficiency is endemic in India, despite abundant sunshine, due to several socioeconomic and cultural constraints. Fortification of staple foods with vitamin D is a viable population-based strategy for the general population in India. These strategies are discussed in the review article entitled, “Fortification of Foods With Vitamin D in India” [1]. The quantity of foods consumed by children is much smaller compared to adults. Therefore, children need energy-dense and micronutrient-dense foods to meet their daily nutritional requirements. Targeted food fortification programs are needed to meet the special needs of children. This review explores potential strategies that could be used for fortification of foods with vitamin D for children in India. Sattu has the potential to be a valuable vehicle for vitamin D fortification in India. The salient characteristics and merits of sattu as an ideal food to be fortified with micronutrients, especially vitamin D, are reviewed here.Key teaching points:• Fortification of foods with vitamin D, specifically targeted towards the nutritional requirements of infants and children, is a viable strategy in the Indian scenario.•Government programs targeting the nutritional needs of children in India, especially via midday meal programs in schools, should incorporate indigenous ready-to-eat foods fortified with micronutrients including vitamin D. These foods would need to have longer shelf life, require minimal preparation, and have economic and technological feasibility.• Sattu, a protein rich Indian fast food, comprised of roasted flour made from cereals and legumes, has immense potential to serve as an economically and technologically feasible fortification vehicle for vitamin D fortification strategies.

Stunting is one of the chronic nutritional problems that inhibits physical growth and cognitive development of children. This study aims to develop a local culture-based Supplementary Food for School Children (PMTAS) menu as an effort to prevent stunting in Early Childhood Education (PAUD) institutions. The method used is Research and Development (R n D) with ADDIE Action model analysis (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) which involves needs analysis, menu design, product development, implementation in schools, and evaluation of effectiveness. The results of this study have important implications in the context of stunting prevention, but also in the development of national nutrition and education policies. These findings underline that school-based interventions with a local food-based approach can be used as a model to be applied in various regions in Indonesia. However, adaptation is needed in implementation in areas with different socio-economic and cultural conditions. By focusing on local food, this approach opens up opportunities to create new theories about the role of local culture in food acceptance and its effects on improving children's nutritional status. As an additional contribution to the literature, this study suggests that the role of local culture in food acceptance by children be the focus for theory development. In addition, the role of school-based interventions as a key factor in preventing stunting needs to be explored further, including by considering how parental involvement can be strengthened through school programs.

Development of a Tribally-led Gardening Curriculum for Indigenous Preschool Children: The FRESH Study

India is endowed with several indigenous foods (IFs), that hold special cultural significance among local and ethnic caommunities, yet no attempts have been made till date to systematically compile their nutritive values. As per FAO’s recent mandate on creation of “Global-Hub on Indigenous Food Systems,” IFs have received renewed global recognition for their potential to contribute to improved food security while enhancing biodiversity across the world. Hence, the useful properties of wild IFs require proper study and documentation in order to bridge the gap between scientific evidence generation and indigenous peoples’ ancestral knowledge. For this purpose, we conducted a literature search in two scientific databases: PubMed and Google Scholar, between July 2020 and December 2021, to identify studies reporting nutritive values and/or antinutrient content of IFs (not included in Indian food composition database), consumed by Indian indigenous communities. A total of 52 Indian research articles were included, from which data was selected and extracted, to create a compendium on nutrient (n = 508) and antinutrient (n = 123) content of IFs, followed by computation of antinutrient-to-mineral molar ratios for 98 IFs to predict their mineral bioavailability. Maximum nutritive values were available for green leafy vegetables (n = 154), followed by other vegetables (n = 98), fruits (n = 66), cereals (n = 63), roots & tubers (n = 51) and nuts and legumes (n = 36). Several IFs seen to have better nutritional content than conventional foods and were found to be rich (i.e., >20% Indian recommended dietary allowances per reference food serve) in iron (54%), calcium (35%), protein (30%), vitamin C (27%), vitamin A (18%), zinc (14%) and folate (13%). Some IFs displayed high levels of antinutrients, however, anti-nutrient-to-mineral molar ratios were found to be low (for mainly leafy vegetables, other vegetables, and roots and tubers), thus indicating high mineral bioavailability. Hence, efforts are desirable to encourage the inclusion of these nutritionally superior IFs into the usual diets of indigenous communities. The IF database collated in our review can serve as a resource for researchers and policymakers to better understand the nutritional properties of region-specific IFs and promote them through contextual food-based interventions for improved dietary quality and nutrition outcomes in indigenous population of India.

Charting a Professional Course: A Review of Mentorship in Medicine

The Addition of Choline to Parenteral Nutrition