Abstract
Objective
To compare the acceptability of a locally produced ready-to-use therapeutic food (L-RUTF) with the standard ready-to-use therapeutic food (S-RUTF).
Methods
It was a single-center, randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover study. The participants were 6–59-mo-old children residing in an urban slum, with weight-for-height z score (WHZ) < −2SD. The study had two intervention periods of feeding with two types of RUTF— L-RUTF and S-RUTF—for a period of 24 h, separated by a wash-out period of 7 d. The outcome measures were the acceptability measured as consumption of more than two-thirds of the total calories offered (150 kcal/kg/24 h) and the degree of liking of the food measured by organoleptic evaluation.
Result
Both types of RUTF did not qualify as acceptable. L-RUTF was preferred over S-RUTF in organoleptic evaluation.
Conclusion
The study suggests that RUTF products are not suitable for use as a single therapeutic food during nutrition rehabilitation of children with acute malnutrition. The study was registered in the clinical registry of India; Reg. No: CTRI/2018/04/012967.
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Data Availability
Yes.
References
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Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Telangana Foods for preparation and supply of locally produced RUTF and Glanbia, India office for supplying micronutrient mix and GC Rieber Compact India Pvt Ltd., Haryana, India for supplying standard WHO RUTF. The authors also thank Ms. Ankita Mondal, Ms. Rojamani, and Ms. Rani for their help during the course of the study. The present study would not have been possible without the unstinting cooperation of the mothers and children from Addagutta, Hyderabad and the authors are grateful to them.
Funding
This work was supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research under grant number 5/9/7/622/SAM/2013-NUT.
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KS: Data collection, supervision in the field, wrote the first draft of the manuscript; RSM: Study design, supervision in the field, data analysis and reviewing the manuscript; RP: Data analysis and reviewing the manuscript; BK: Study design, overall supervision of the study, reviewing and finalization of the manuscript. BK will act as the guarantor for this paper.
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Received from IRB, ICMR-NIN: Date: 10/01/2018, No: CR02/1/2017.
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Selvaraj, K., Mamidi, R.S., Peter, R. et al. Acceptability of Locally Produced Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Malnourished Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study. Indian J Pediatr 89, 1066–1072 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-022-04079-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-022-04079-2