Development of home-based ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF-HB) to overcome nutrition-related problems among children under five during the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The most direct causes of malnutrition are food consumption and infection. Yet the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic has limited low-income families’ ability to fulfil the need for nutrition consumption, particularly for children under five. Responding to this situation, we sought to develop home-based ready-to-use supplementary foods (RUSF-HB) from local ingredients that are energy-protein-dense, affordable, simple and easy to produce at home. We created three milk-free formulas (MFFs) and six standard formulas (STFs). Three cheap and abundant local foods: soybeans, cowpeas, and mung beans were combined with rice flour, refined sugar, and coconut oil. A cross-over study design was used to assess food organoleptic, which showed that the products were comparable in several sensory aspects except for the odour and the taste. Soybeans-based formulas contain slightly more energy and protein compared to mung beans or cowpeas-based ones. However, the mung beans-based formulas were more favourable to caregivers and children, particularly their taste and smell. The products contain slightly less energy than the recommended ones but high enough to supply macronutrient for those in need on a regular basis. The caregivers considered the total price for the products was affordable, and the formula was easy to follow.