Recommendations on Complementary Feeding as a Tool for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)—Paper Co-Drafted by the SIPPS, FIMP, SIDOHaD, and SINUPE Joint Working Group

Adequate and balanced nutrition is essential to promote optimal child growth and a long and healthy life. After breastfeeding, the second step is the introduction of complementary feeding (CF), a process that typically covers the period from 6 to 24 months of age. This process is, however, still highly controversial, as it is heavily influenced by socio-cultural choices, as well as by the availability of specific local foods, by family traditions, and pediatrician beliefs. The Società Italiana di Pediatria Preventiva e Sociale (SIPPS) together with the Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri (FIMP), the Società Italiana per lo Sviluppo e le Origine della Salute e delle Malattie (SIDOHaD), and the Società Italiana di Nutrizione Pediatrica (SINUPE) have developed evidence-based recommendations for CF, given the importance of nutrition in the first 1000 days of life in influencing even long-term health outcomes. This paper includes 38 recommendations, all of them strictly evidence-based and overall addressed to developed countries. The recommendations in question cover several topics such as the appropriate age for the introduction of CF, the most appropriate quantitative and qualitative modalities to be chosen, and the relationship between CF and the development of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) later in life.

FOOD NEOPHOBIA, FAMILIARITY, AND WILLINGNESS-TO-TRY MALAYSIA LOCAL FOODS AMONG SOJOURNERS IN TERENGGANU

Nowadays, Malaysia has gained more popularity among sojourners either as a destination to continue their study or as a good place to work. However, there are few studies regarding food neophobia among sojourners and information on the subject is limited. The objectives of this study are to determine the level of food neophobia among sojourners in Terengganu, to compared between food neophobia score and social-demographic profile, to examine association of familiarity and willingness-to-try local foods among people with different levels of food neophobia and to examine the relationship between the food neophobia scores and the willingness-to-try new foods and same food neophobia score with familiar foods. A total of 152 questionnaires were distributed to international students from Middle east. The findings reported average food neophobia scale among sojourners in Terengganu was 40.15 ±12.21. There were no significant differences between food neophobia and gender but a significant difference between residential area (urban and rural), and the length of stay in Malaysia. Moreover, there were significant associations between food neophobia and familiarity towards Malaysia’s local cuisines. A significant association between food neophobia and willingness-to-try Malaysia local foods was also recorded. The impact of the findings on respondents was also discussed.

DOMESTIC TOURISTS NEW DINING BEHAVIOUR IN RELATION TO COVID-19 AT ISLAND SETTING IN TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

Today, the tourism industry has grown rapidly and many destinations have been recognised as tourist niches in a bid to stay competitive in the industry. Island tourism is one of the most popular tourism niches. Island tourism in Malaysia has lured tourists from all over the world to come to Malaysia, offering tourist a unique and unforgettable tourism experience. It has become one of the most famous types of activities tourists. Moreover, tourists are showing an increasing interest in local foods at the destination and dining has become a special experience while on vacation. Dining itself is a pleasurable sensory experience that is a key part of the holiday experience, which influences a tourists’ experience and makes it memorable and this in turn influences the tourist’s intention to revisit the destination, especially an island destination. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent Movement Control Order (MCO) and COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) enforced to control the spread of the pandemic have significantly influenced tourists dining behaviours and perceptions particularly with regard to dine-in options at any food establishment/outlets.

FACTORS THAT DETERMINE TOURIST’S PURCHASE INTENTION TOWARD KELANTANESE LOCAL CUISINE

Local foods are one of the cravings of travelers wanting to experience the joys of domestic tourism. Some of the other reasons tourists visit a place is to experience the lifestyle, and culture. Besides these motivational factors, tourist visit places based on word -of- mouth and their own past experiences. The state of Kelantan, Malaysia is identified as a vibrant tourist destination as it has beautiful natural environs and has a rich and diverse cultural heritage that is easy to promote to tourists. Kelantan is also well known for its local cuisines that can attract the foodies. The uniqueness of the local cuisine also influences tourists to make other purchases. Using the quantitative research approach, this study aims to identify the relationship between food quality, price, and service quality towards the tourists intention to purchase local cuisine in Kelantan. These three independent variables will have a different role in explaining the factors that influence a tourist’s intent to purchase Kelantanese foodstuff.

The power of local foods in the Kebo-Keboan traditional ceremony of Alasmalang, Banyuwangi, Indonesia: a philosophical study and cultural promotion

Food is an effective way for rural communities to introduce their culture. Therefore, they make various mobilization efforts to popularize their traditional foods. It comes as no surprise that the traditional ceremonies are held as a means of branding to promote these localities. This study was aimed to describe the local traditional foods presented at the Kebo-keboan traditional ceremony in Alasmalang, Banyuwangi district, Indonesia as a reflection of the culture within the Alasmalang community. The analysis focused on the philosophy of traditional foods to unravel the culture within the Alasmalang community. The data were collected through in-depth interviews to receive profound information. The data analysis was done using interactive methods. There were six variations of local foods found in the Kebo-keboan traditional ceremony, namely Pecel Pitik, Tumpeng Putih, Tumpeng Kuning, Jenang Abang, Jenang Suro, and boiled produce. All the local foods are made from local ingredients with local cultural beliefs lying within them. These foods reflect the religious, social, and environmental-loving culture of the Alasmalang community as well as a means of promoting local culture. The findings can serve as initiatives for cultural promotion elsewhere as well as an expansion in cultural studies

Halal and safety traceability of material, production, and serving of local food in Surabaya: A review

Indonesia has a very diverse culinary consisting of a variety of local food. Although the production process using ingredients and seasonings is quite complex, the serving is simple and traditional. This simplicity often leads to low consumer’s and manufacturer’s awareness of its safety and halal guarantees thus making this phenomenon very feasible to discuss. This research aims to review halal and safety traceability of local food in Surabaya, namely rujak cingur, rawon (traditional black soup), and kupang lontong (lontong mussels). These foods are most sought after by tourists when visiting Surabaya. Halal traceability and safety are carried out on materials, production, and serving of the food. Traceability results show that most street vendors selling rujak cingur, rawon, and lontong mussels in Surabaya have not implemented halal and save food traceability. The risk of safety and halal of these local foods are quite large due to the lack of concern of consumers and producers to the importance of safety and halal in their product. In fact, the food that is a specialty of an area should get greater attention to ensure the safety and halal of the product. Increased awareness and practicality to trace ingredients, production, and serving are very important to ensure the safety and halal of ready-to-eat local food, thus supporting culinary tourism development.

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) Water as Alternative Growth Medium for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in Laboratory with Minimum Infrastructure

The availability of non-synthetic media from natural ingredients is needed to answer the needs in laboratories where the price of nutrient media is quite expensive and there are limited supplies of material ware houses. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) are the local foods of people of NTT (East Nusa Tenggara) which have a high enough nutritional content which has the potential to be developed into cheap, easy and simple non-synthetic media in making. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the agar media contained nutrient from cowpea and pigeonpea water can be used as a alternative for nutrient agar for the growth of Escherchia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This research is a true experiment with posttest-only control design. The growth rate of S. aureus bacteria on pigeonpea medium, cowpea medium, nutrient agar medium, were 164 CFU/mL (SD=3,13), 161 CFU/mL (SD=3,02) and 164 CFU/mL (SD=3,21), respectively. The average growth of E. coli on cowpea medium, pigeonpea medium, and nutrient agar control medium were 163 CFU/mL (SD=2,79), 167 CFU/mL (SD-2,63) and 164 CFU/mL (SD=2,75) respectively. Test results ANOVA between pigeonpea medium, cowpea medium and nutrient medium in order to obtain p value = 0.145 (p> 0.05) for the growth of E. coli bacteria and p value = 0.393 (p> 0.05) for growth S. aureus. It was concluded that there was no difference between the number of bacterial colonies of E. coli and S. aureus on three medium. The pigeonpea medium and cowpea can be used to grow and alternative nutrient agar in order to grow bacteria E. coli and S. aureus.

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

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.