Fruits and greens would have been better, say nutritionists

 

The 13 items in the Pemulih stimulus package’s food basket for needy households.

PETALING JAYA: While the nutritional value of the items in the Pemulih stimulus package’s food basket may not be up to standard, nutritionists say that logistics and the perishability of fresh food mean that the list will have to do for now.

Announcing details of the Pemulih package last week, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said all MPs would receive an additional RM300,000 each to provide food baskets to those in need in their constituencies.

A list which has since been provided to MPs details the 13 contents of these RM100 food baskets, which is glaringly lacking fruits and vegetables.

Yasmin Ooi, a senior lecturer in nutrition at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said that due to post-harvest and logistical reasons, the provision of perishable food items like fruits, vegetables and fresh produce “might not be feasible”.

“As a nutritionist, I suggest that aid givers explore other ways to support the nutritional well-being of recipients on a local situation basis such as having communal kitchens where feasible, adding other food items, or working with other government agencies, NGOs and donors,” she told FMT.

The 13 items in the food basket include rice (10kg), cooking oil (2kg), sugar (2kg), wheat flour (1.7kg-2kg), condensed milk (1kg-1.1kg) and salt (400-450g).

The other items on the list are canned sardines (800-850g), rice vermicelli (700-800g), sweet soy sauce (600-700ml), chilli sauce (300-400g), biscuits (350-450g), coffee (100-150g) and tea (100-150g).

Earlier this year, the health ministry’s nutrition department updated the Malaysian Food Pyramid with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables as opposed to the previous pyramid’s focus on carbohydrates.

The last time the food pyramid was reviewed was in 2010, with the previous review before that coming in 1999.

Celeste Lau Wai Hong, senior manager (dietetics) at Sunway Medical Centre, said the food basket did not provide a balanced diet as there were no vegetables or fruits on the list.

She also said there was not enough protein provided, suggesting more canned fish, chicken, eggs or beans to fill this requirement.

However, she said her perspective “may not be applicable” since fresh food was perishable.

Stating that coffee, tea, sweet soy sauce and chilli sauce were “non-essential” for daily consumption, Lau said they should be replaced with eggs, beans, bread, local fruits and vegetables.

Lau, who suggested that optional choices to the list be allowed based on each area’s needs, said a healthier list would have included other carbohydrates such as grains, bread and potatoes.

Tellingly, she noted, there was no need for so much sugar, oil and flour in the list as people “don’t make food from plain flour anymore”.

“Unless (the oil) is for frying food, (but) there is nothing to fry from the list given,” she said. - FMT