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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2025)

Recent developments in ready-to-use foods to improve the health status of moderate acute malnourished children

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.8377
Submitted
19 March 2025
Published
23-06-2025 — Updated on 01-07-2025
Versions

Abstract

Despite various government and nongovernment measures, malnutrition (low weight-for-height) remains a global concern among children and its prevalence is alarming. The contention that effective management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) prevents severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is supported by data demonstrating substantial reductions in the extent and prevalence of SAM in areas where MAM has been adequately treated. The reduction of childhood morbidity and mortality through an intervention is contingent on the study of foods used to treat children suffering from MAM. Therefore, a narrative review of the literature was conducted, providing a comprehensive background on recent developments in supplementary foods by summarising findings from a total of 17 studies that have the potential to manage MAM. The review also paves the way for possible future inventions. It was observed that the supplementary biscuits developed from local ingredients were more cost-effective and acceptable to children. The inclusion of fish in various forms of supplementary food could serve as a great source of valuable protein. Furthermore, ready-to-use, low-moisture peanut pastes were transformed using indigenous ingredients to make them more acceptable and the use of pre and probiotics in foods to manage malnutrition improved the gut microbiota of children. It was seen that the use of locally available ingredients to develop study foods could serve as an alternative for managing MAM.

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