The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Monday, June 28, that ready-to-eat food products for children aged one to five years old have been developed from abundant fresh produce in Davao region to address undernutrition among children during disasters.

DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said the project, led by Ma. Christina Ramos of the Philippine Women’s College of Davao, aims to address concerns on undernutrition among children.

“This ready-to-eat food will be made especially for the nutrition requirements of children aged one to five years old,” he said during the second Talakayang HeaRT Beat (Health Research and Technology) on Monday, June 28.

He said among the food products that have been identified to be developed are the following: fruit-veggie leather with puffed rice and peanuts, all-veggie monggo meal, all-veggie cornmeal porridge, and seed-enriched whole grain biscuit cookies.

“The team was able to develop the product formulation for the veggie leather with puffed rice and peanuts and seed-enriched whole grain biscuit cookies,” the DOST chief said.

“In the meantime, the development of the all-veggie monggo and all-veggie cornmeal porridge are still ongoing,” he added.

Ramos’ team has conducted sensory evaluations for the completed formulations with the residents, mother and children, of the target barangays to assess the acceptability of the food products, de la Peña said.

“The development of packaging and production processes and food safety tests are ongoing,” he said.

The development of ready-to-eat food products for children is among the major health research projects under the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR-CCA) program of the DOST- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).