Acceptability trials with ready to eat foods in a rural area

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Pediatric Nutrition
• Food Science

Background:

• Preschoolers require adequate nutrition for healthy development.
• Supplementary foods play a crucial role in bridging nutritional gaps in young children.
• Assessing the acceptability of novel food formulations is vital for effective nutritional interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptability of three different supplementary food recipes for young preschoolers.
• To compare the palatability, sensory attributes, and side effects of Sweet Ready Mix, Sweet Ready Mix with Amylase, and Therapeutic food.
• To identify a supplementary food that meets established criteria for child consumption and tolerance.

Main Methods:

• Acceptability trials conducted with 184 preschoolers (6-35 months) in four villages near Hyderabad.
• Three supplementary food types were tested: Sweet Ready Mix, Sweet Ready Mix with Amylase, and Therapeutic food.
• Acceptability defined as 75% of children consuming ≥75% of the supplement for 70% of trial days; sensory attributes and side effects were recorded.

Main Results:

• Therapeutic food demonstrated superior acceptability, meeting the defined criteria.
• Sweet Ready Mix and Sweet Ready Mix with Amylase had poor acceptability (<4%), primarily due to insufficient quantity, not taste or smell.
• Mothers preferred the taste and smell of Therapeutic food; it also resulted in fewer side effects like diarrhea and vomiting.

Conclusions:

• Therapeutic food is a highly acceptable and well-tolerated supplementary option for young preschoolers.
• Quantity, rather than taste or smell, was a limiting factor for the acceptability of Sweet Ready Mix formulations.
• The findings support the use of calorie-dense Therapeutic food in preschooler nutritional programs.