Mocaf tempeh dates biscuit for the improvement nutritional status of underweight children

The prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition) in Indonesian toddlers have increased due to lower macro-nutrient intake and exposure to infectious diseases. It is necessary to intervene with supplementary feeding in the form of highly nutritious food products, such as biscuits made from flour enriched from mocaf from soybean and date jam. The study was conducted to assess the effects of consumption of mocaf tempeh dates biscuits with the nutritional status of KEP toddlers. Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with pre-post tests were used with 70 subjects, divided into 3 groups: 27 subjects in the treated group (mocaf tempeh dates biscuits), 26 subjects of control group 1 (tempeh dates biscuits), and 17 subjects in control group 2 (placebo biscuits). The intake of energy, protein, and fat, along with hemoglobin examination and blood albumin were collected pre-post intervention. A change in weight of 0.4 kg was found in the intervention group. The highest increase in height was found in control group 1 (1.7 cm). An increase in blood hemoglobin levels of 0.1 points was found in the intervention group and the control group 1. The albumin was decreased by 0.3 points in the intervention group. Weight gain in the intervention group was influenced by macro-nutrient intake. Intake of vitamin A, Fe, and Zn affected blood hemoglobin levels in post-intervention with the intervention group. It can be concluded that mocaf tempeh dates biscuits can be consumed by underweight children as an alternative food of Nutritional Supplementation Program.