The Challenge of Nutritional Literacy in Pringsewu: Choosing Milk Is Not Just About Taste

Access to milk products in Pringsewu, Lampung, is relatively easy. Various types of milk, from growing-up milk to UHT milk, are widely available on the market. However, this ease of access has not been matched by public understanding of the right type of milk to meet children’s nutritional needs. A lack of literacy means some parents still choose products based on habit, children’s taste preferences, or information from their surroundings, rather than on nutritional requirements. In fact, each type of milk product has a significantly different age designation and nutritional content.

Blitar Rejo Village Midwife, Catur Yuli Megawati, revealed that the main challenge in improving nutrition in her area is not economic factors, but low nutritional literacy. One common obstacle is children’s dependence on sweet-flavoured drinks. ‘If they are given plain milk, many refuse. So we look for other ways, such as making it into pudding so that children are still willing to consume it,’ said Catur. She stressed that nutrition education must not stop at encouraging milk consumption, but must also include understanding which products are appropriate for a child’s growth and development.

The issue of literacy also extends to technical aspects of preparation. Eka Saryati, a resident of Blitar Rejo Village, shared her experience of providing growing-up milk to her child who was not breastfed. She had been making a mistake in the preparation process that risked destroying essential nutrients. Eka was accustomed to putting the milk powder in first, then adding water, when the correct order is the reverse. ‘I only just found out that my method of preparation was wrong,’ she said. Fortunately, after receiving guidance from local health cadres, she corrected the preparation method and her child’s growth has since shown positive progress.

The Chairwoman of Aisyiyah Lampung, Pristi Wahyu Diawati, noted a positive shift in public understanding. Through continuous education, residents are beginning to realise that sweetened condensed milk is not a milk product that supports children’s growth. ‘In the past, many people thought sweetened condensed milk was indeed milk for growth. Now that understanding is starting to change, but education must still be carried out with a family-based approach,’ explained Pristi. She added that ongoing support is still needed so that the community is not easily influenced by old perceptions in their environment.

In line with this, the Director of Family Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Lovely Daisy, emphasised that sweetened condensed milk is not formulated as a primary source of nutrition for toddlers. The high sugar content in the product serves as a natural preservative to extend its shelf life. ‘This sugar is deliberately added as a natural preservative so the product has a long shelf life, meaning most of the calories in sweetened condensed milk come from carbohydrates or sugar,’ concluded Dr. Lovely.