Nguter (08/13/2024) – The Community Service Program (KKN) Team II of Universitas Diponegoro in Nguter Village, Academic Year 2023/2024, has created an innovation to help reduce stunting rates in Nguter Village, Sukoharjo District, by processing catfish into nuggets and vegetables into snack bars. This initiative is a response to the still-present cases of stunting in the village.

According to regular surveys and observations conducted by the Village Midwife and Posyandu (Community Health Center) in Nguter in June 2024, 18 out of 277 toddlers in the village were identified as stunted. These cases involve children aged 0-5 years. However, there are also reported cases of malnutrition among children over five years old, indicating a need for a comprehensive approach to address these nutritional issues.

The stunting prevention program by KKN Team II in Nguter Village was held on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the “Tunas Bangsa” Inclusion Center in Nguter Village. The program involved the Aquaculture Department (Faculty Of Fisheries And Marine Sciences) as the demonstrator of fish nuggets made from a blend of catfish and tilapia, which are rich in animal protein, omega-3, and vitamin D; the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Department (Vocational School) as the demonstrator of snack bars made from red rice flour and ginger powder, which are high in fiber and plant-based protein; and the Public Administration Department (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) as the presenter on the causes, effects, dangers, and handling of stunting. The event began with a socialization session on the causes, effects, dangers, and solutions for stunting and concluded with distributing fish nugget and snack bar samples to participants, primarily mothers and children from the inclusion center.

This activity is part of a multidisciplinary work program by KKN Team II UNDIP in Nguter Village, titled “Food Innovation Education with Fish Nuggets and Snack Bars as a Nutritional Fulfillment Effort in Stunting Prevention.” As is known, not everyone can consume fish and vegetables in their original forms, such as fried fish or soup. Therefore, this innovation of making fish nuggets and snack bars aims to ensure children’s intake of fiber and animal and plant-based protein. It is hoped that this innovation will encourage a greater interest in consuming fish and vegetables.