title: Use of red palm oil in local snacks can increase intake of provitamin A carotenoids in young aborigines children: a Malaysian experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carotenoid-rich red palm oil (RPO)-based snacks have been provided to children in impoverished communities to improve their vitamin A status. The non-availabilty of information on the acceptability of RPO-based snacks by Malaysian aborigines (Orang Asli) children forms the basis of this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one Orang Asli children, majority of whom had normal body mass index for age (BMI-for-age) and aged 4.73 +/- 0.92 years in Sungai Tekir, Negeri Sembilan were provided with three freshly-prepared snacks (springroll, curry puff or doughnut) each containing one teaspoon or 5 ml of RPO per serving, on separate mornings. On the fourth morning, one serving each of all 3 different snacks was provided together on a plate to every child for consumption and preference for the snacks recorded. The children's habitual vitamin A intakes were assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and carotenoid retention tests for the prepared snacks were performed by column chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four percent of the children did not meet their RNI for vitamin A. Based on acceptance criterion of consuming at least one-half serving of the snacks provided, springroll and curry puff recorded 100% acceptability while doughnut had 82% acceptability. Preference of snack was in the order, springroll (47%) > doughtnut (35%) > curry puff (18%), but a Z-test test for proportions showed no statistical significance. Carotenoid retention tests showed great variation between snacks namely, doughnut (100%) > springroll (84%) > curry puff (45%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall findings indicate that the RPO-based snacks are highly acceptable and can be used to improve the dietary intake of provitamin A carotenoids of Malaysian Orang Asli children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. tony_ng@imu.edu.my
authors.forename: T K W
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: C X
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Low
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D062410:Snacks; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D000073878:Palm Oil