The National Research and Innovation Agency’s (BRIN’s) Technology Review and Application Research Organization (OR PPT) has created a food product in the form of a meat floss that could prevent stunting in Indonesia, the agency’s official revealed.
“This contains vitamins that are able to increase iron that can be used to prevent stunting for teenagers,” BRIN’s official, Soni Solistia Wirawan, noted at the Health and Food Research and Innovation 2021 webinar here on Wednesday.
Stunting is impaired growth in children, specifically of the body and brain, owing to the lack of nutrition for a prolonged period of time.
Children suffering from stunting usually have a shorter body posture as compared to those with normal growth.
Stunting could occur when pregnant mothers suffer from anemia that is attributed to nutritional deficiency.
According to data from the Basic Health Research 2018, some 27.2 percent of women suffer from anemia.
If a pregnant woman experiences anemia for a long period of time, it could affect the fetus and the child could be born with stunting.
To this end, iron intake through the consumption of meat floss could prevent anemia that in turn could avert stunting in babies.
Iron is crucial for the production red blood cells in the body. Adequate intake of iron is expected to prevent anemia.
The meat floss of Purula brand could serve as a food supplement akin to furikake in Japan, Wirawan noted.
The meat floss was created with various flavors, such as beef, which can be adjusted to match the consumers’ taste, and it could also be consumed as it is with a hot rice.
Stunting remains a prevalent issue that the Indonesian government is keen to immediately address in order to support the birth of a productive and quality future generation.
According to data from the Indonesian Children Nutritional Status Survey (SSGBI) 2019, the number of cases of stunting in Indonesia had reached 27.7 percent.
Source: Antara News