'Tajin' as milk substitute

'Tajin' as milk substitute

We refer to a letter that appeared in your paper on March 19, 1998, written by Ms. Ratna Ramanah from Cimahi, West Java, on using tajin as a substitute for milk. As a part of the United Nations systems most concerned with infant and young child nutrition we would like to mention that many young children in the world grow up without milk because it is either not part of their culture or they cannot afford it.

For healthy growth children should receive exclusive breast-feeding for the first 4 to 6 months. Any substitute, including tajin (thick water from cooked rice), should not be given. Also, in a period of economic recession the quality of breast milk remains the best that an infant can get. Studies demonstrate that exclusively breast-fed children suffer less from infectious disease, avoiding the need for scarce family resources to be spent on expensive medicines.

Beyond the age of four to six months breast milk alone does not any longer supply sufficient energy and vitamins for the larger child and needs to be complemented by other foods. If these foods do not include foods of animal origin (meat, eggs, milk) it is difficult to meet the requirements of the fast growing child. These products become less affordable during this period of economic crisis and Unicef is worried that this will increase the rate of malnutrition in Indonesia. As a rapid response to the crisis, Unicef is supporting the distribution of a low-cost industrially prepared complementary food that will be made available to low income families through the Family Welfare Movement (PKK).

Under the current circumstances we should be even more careful to avoid making the mistake to recommend foods such as milk that are beyond the reach of an increasing number of families. The use of tajin can therefore play a role, although it will not have the same nutritional value as milk. Tajin can be the right vehicle to mix with other foods to make it more nutritious. Because it is boiled it at least provides a clean source of liquid. Boiled water should always be used to prepare complementary foods for our young children.

STEPHEN J. WOODHOUSE

Area Representative

Unicef Indonesia & Malaysia