Bali BPBD Considers Campus-Innovated Healthy Menus as Disaster Aid Option

The Bali Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) is considering healthy menus developed through campus innovation as an option for providing logistical aid during disasters. The initiative aims to move beyond mere quantity to ensure the nutritional quality of food supplies for affected populations. “This could become one of the products we choose for logistics provision during a disaster,” said the Head of Prevention and Preparedness at Bali BPBD, Ida Bagus Gede Widnyana, in Denpasar. He expressed high appreciation for the research innovation, stating it could improve the fulfilment of basic needs, particularly food, during emergencies. He also encouraged the product to be launched commercially and patented so it can be mass-produced. Widnyana added that this knowledge could be replicated by other universities to strengthen synergy between academia and disaster risk reduction efforts. The healthy disaster menu was developed by researchers at the Poltekkes Kemenkes Denpasar. It is based on the specific nutritional requirements of different age groups. For infants aged 0-6 months, the priority remains exclusive breastfeeding, with formula only provided under medical indication. For babies aged 6-24 months, complementary foods with an energy requirement of 1,000 kcal are specified. The menu also includes fortified biscuits, ready-to-eat meals, UHT milk, and instant fortified porridge for toddlers, with a 1,350 kcal standard. For adults, the recommendations include ready-to-eat meals, canned side dishes, and noodles supplemented with protein, with energy requirements set at 1,900-2,250 kcal for women and 2,400-2,650 kcal for men. Pregnant women would receive biscuits, maternal milk, and iron tablets containing energy, protein, iron, folic acid, calcium, and vitamins. The elderly would be provided with instant porridge, high-calcium milk, soft ready-to-eat meals, and high-energy biscuits with an 1,800 kcal standard.