Nutritional Profile of Locally Produced Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for Severe Acute Malnourished Children in Indonesia

Abstract

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a lipid-based product used to treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children under five years old without clinical complications. In Indonesia, new RUTF formulas have been created using local protein sources, resulting in milk-based, legumes-based, fish-based, and soy-fish-based RUTFs. Among these, milk-based RUTF was the most preferred and was enhanced with a vitamin and mineral premix to meet WHO, UNICEF, and FAO standards. The nutrient content, including proximate composition, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids, was assessed using standardized methods. Safety was evaluated for mycotoxins, microorganisms, and heavy metals. The results indicated that the nutritional content met RUTF guidelines, with no heavy metal contamination and acceptable levels of mycotoxins and microorganisms. This study suggests that producing safe RUTF from local resources with high nutritional value is feasible and likely to be well-received by the local population, offering sustainable prospects.