Potential Use of Gamma Irradiated Ethnic Meal Ready to Eat Foods to Improve Nutritional Status of School-Children

Siagian, Carmen Minerva and Simanungkalit, B. and Nurcahya, C.M. and Nilatany, A. and Lasmawati, Lasmawati and Pratama, I.M and Irawati, Zubaidah (2015) Potential Use of Gamma Irradiated Ethnic Meal Ready to Eat Foods to Improve Nutritional Status of School-Children. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR), 24 (1). pp. 200-209. ISSN 2307-4531

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Abstract

Children grow with lack of nutrition circumstances including family food security, living style, and bad quality of food intake may lead a serious infection disease and reduce the immune system in their body. This hunger paradox is mainly attributed to lack of sanitation and food hygiene practices, low level education etc. Intervention studies of good quality of foods on selected undernourished children to improve their nutritional status and immune system in Sentul, Bogor has been conducted. The sample population was the students at purposive elementary school, about 10-12 years old and mostly undernourished children. Some teachers and parents were approached to participate this study. Purpose of this activity is to collect some information from the clinically healthy students, but they are suspected undernourished based on inclusion criteria such as body weight and height, chronicle disease, hemoglobin content, and conditional eating habit. Each student must complete an inform consent sheet prior to food intervention. About 90 selected students were randomly split into three groups, 30 children each, and then treated with three different types of foods continuously for 25 days. Each group received unirradiated, irradiated, and regular foods, respectively. Anthropometry measurement including body weight and height. Blood serum such as albumin, lymphocyte, and hemoglobin were measured according to the methods of previous work, and observed at an accredited clinical laboratory in Bogor as pre and post-tests, respectively. The unirradiated and irradiated foods were prepared based on high protein content in the products as developed for immune-compromised patients . Nutrition intake was carried out according to the method of food recall within 2 x 24 hours. Eating habit and illness history, education level of parents, and other valuable information were recorded according to Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Irradiated various ethnic RTE foods provided some benefits compared to either unirradiated or regular foods, such as more variation in menu and longer shelf life, and it might help to improve nutrition status of undernourished schoolchildren

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