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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Nov;89(11):1066-1072.
doi: 10.1007/s12098-022-04079-2. Epub 2022 Feb 1.

Acceptability of Locally Produced Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Malnourished Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study

Kiruthika Selvaraj  1 , Raja Sriswan Mamidi  1 , Rajini Peter  1 , Bharati Kulkarni  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Acceptability of Locally Produced Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Malnourished Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study

Kiruthika Selvaraj et al. Indian J Pediatr. 2022 Nov.

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.

Keywords: Acceptability; Moderate acute malnutrition; Ready-to-use therapeutic food; Severe acute malnutrition; Under five.

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References

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