Team of IPB’s Researchers Creates ASI Complementary Food From Breadfruit Flour

Babies’ brain development is occurred rapidly since birth until two years old. Providing healthy nutrients during first 1000 days of children’s life plays important role in health, well-being, and success of the children for the future. Undernutrition in babies may Impacts on hampered development in children.

Nowadays, practice of giving ASI complementary food (MP-ASI) in Indonesia are not yet correctly done. Such as giving MP-ASI too early and using MP-ASI ingredients which has not enough nutrients to fulfill children’s nutritional requirements. The lack of micro nutrients in MP-ASI can give negative impacts because micro nutrient is extremely correlated with growth.

Came from that condition, a team of researchers from Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Human Ecology (Fema) Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) created MP-ASI made from local breadfruit. This research was titled “Formulation of ASI Complementary Food Based on Breadfruit Flour (Arthocarpus altilis) With Taburia Fortification”. The initiator of this research is Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Sulaeman.

“This research is an advanced research and a further development of my previous research, that is emergency food product from Sasumuzi breadfruit or multi nutrients breadfruit sagon. It is just that Sasumuzi is intended for children over five years old while MP-ASI is intended for babies over six months old or more specific for infants over one years old,” said Prof. Ahmad.

As it is known, Indonesia has area with diversed local food potencies. In general, MP-ASI is made from main ingredients such as Cerealia, tubers, starchy ingredients, legumes, dairy, fish, meat, poultry, and fruits. In this research, MP-ASI was made by using breadfruit-based composite flour which is a local-based food.

“MP-ASI is a complementary food to support the development of six to 12 months old babies. Breadfruit id one of local food which rich on carbohydrates. This use of breadfruit can be used as a substitute for rice flour,” explained Fazrina Khasanah, one of researchers' members.

Breadfruit flour contains carbohydrates up to 77.80 percent. In 100 grams breadfruit flour there are content of phosphorus 165.2 mg, zinc 1.1 mg, vitamin B1 0.34 mg, vitamin B2 0.17 mg, and vitamin C 47.60 mg. Protein content in breadfruit flour is relatively low which is 4.56 percent. Therefore, in this research was added protein sources from mung bean and skimmed milk.

In this research also was conducted taburia fortification as source of multivitamin and mineral to improve micro nutrients in MP-ASI. The research's result has shown the selected formula is the formula with breadfruit flour addition of 30-40 percent. Result of physical test included viscosity, bulk density, water absorption, and re-hydration time has shown this MP-ASI product is already fit the criteria of MP-ASI product.

It can be concluded that nutritional requirement of babies can be fulfilled by consuming breadfruit flour MP-ASI from two to five sachets per day. This MP-ASI product is also can accepted by targeted consumers with acceptance percentage 77 percent.

This research’s result is expected to increase the use of local food ingredients as an effort from food diversification. “We also hope this product can be used as one of MP-ASI alternatives for infants over six months old or more precisely over one years old”, she conveyed.