P999 - ASSESSMENT OF ACCEPTABILITY OF LOCALLY PRODUCED READY-TO-USE THERAPEUTIC FOODS COMPARED TO THE STANDARD RUTF IN SRI LANKA

P999

ASSESSMENT OF ACCEPTABILITY OF LOCALLY PRODUCED READY-TO-USE THERAPEUTIC FOODS COMPARED TO THE STANDARD RUTF IN SRI LANKA

T. D. Wickramasekara¹, N. D. De Alwis¹, A. G. Perera^1,*, H. R. Manikgamaarachchi¹, N. N. Peries², Y. N. Amarathunga¹, A. L. C. Samanthika¹

¹Nutrition, Medical Research Institute, ²Medical Education, University of Moratuwa, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Rationale: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children under five years of age remains a major health concern in Sri Lanka. Currently, standard RUTF (BP 100) is used to manage SAM despite its lower acceptability and high cost. The aim was to develop a more acceptable and cost-effective solution locally.

Methods:  A cross-over trial was conducted among 95 children aged 3–5 years from two preschools in Colombo and Jaffna, ensuring multicultural representation. Eligible children received standard RUTF (BP 100) and three locally produced Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) (B1, B2, B3), developed per CODEX standards. Each product was given once daily for five consecutive days, replacing the school snack, followed by a one-week washout before introducing the next. This cycle continued until all four products were tested. Ingested quantity, organoleptic qualities, and acceptability were assessed via pictogram questionnaires and observations. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and one-way ANOVA.

Results: The average age of participants was 4 ± 0.4 years. The average weight and MUAC of the participants were 14.2 ± 1.5 kg, and 15.1 ± 0.90 cm, respectively. The average weight consumption of locally produced RUTFs (B1, B2, B3) was significantly higher than standard RUTF (P < 0.05). In sensory analysis, B2 scored highest for color and smell, while all three local RUTFs scored higher than standard RUTF for taste. Standard RUTF showed lower overall acceptability, especially for taste, color, and smell. 

Conclusion: Locally produced low-cost RUTFs showed higher acceptability compared to the standard RUTF among Sri Lankan children. Before recommending, the effectiveness of these products in managing SAM should be evaluated.

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Disclosure of Interest: None declared