FKM Unhas and Toyo Food Japan Collaborate to Develop Nutritious School Lunch Menus
Makassar, February 5, 2025 – The Nutrition Science Study Program, Faculty of Public Health (FKM), Hasanuddin University (Unhas) held a meeting regarding the trial of nutritious meal menus for schoolchildren as part of a collaboration with Toyo Food Japan. The event took place in Prof. Nur Nasry Noor Room, 2nd Floor, FKM Unhas, starting at 09.00 WITA until completion. The meeting was attended by several representatives from Toyo Food Japan, namely Yurika Mori, a nutritionist, Yutaka Oki as assistant general manager, and Hidetoshi Ogikubo as managing director. It was also attended by several FKM Unhas academics, including Prof. Dr. Veni Hadju, MSc, PhD and several lecturers from the Nutrition Science study program and lecturers from the Public Health study program. In this activity, Toyo Food Japan representatives conveyed the concept of nutritious school lunches based on the experience and system implemented in Japan. In his presentation, Toyo Food Japan explained that lunch at school is not just about fulfilling nutrition, but also part of children’s education. In Japan, lunch is designed to teach children about nutritional values, food processing, and healthy eating habits. Children are taught not to waste food, teachers participate in eating with students, and food ingredients are sourced from local agricultural products. In addition, to ensure adequate calcium, every child is required to drink milk, while used milk cartons are washed and recycled. After eating, students are also accustomed to brushing their teeth together and cleaning the dining room collectively. It was also mentioned that in Japan, the cost of school lunch ranges from 300 yen (about Rp30,000) per serving, which is partly borne by parents and partly subsidized by the local government. He emphasized that lunch at school is an important pillar in Japan’s national health policy. Dr. Healthy Hidayanty, SKM., M.Kes explained that “as part of the trial, FKM Unhas also conducted a survey related to the eating habits and nutritional status of children. This program is designed to adjust the nutritional needs of students at school, where lunch contributes about 20–30% of their daily nutritional needs. In addition, a trial menu of healthy meals for parents and children will also be carried out as a form of direct education. With this collaboration, it is hoped that the concept of nutritious lunch can be more widely applied in schools throughout Indonesia, so that children get more balanced nutrition and support their optimal growth and development,” explained Dr. Healthy. The Nutrition Science Study Program, FKM Unhas will test 2 menus. One of the menus to be tested consists of 150 grams of white rice, 31 grams of soy sauce tofu, 78 grams of stir-fried beans + carrots, 92 grams of sweet and sour chicken, 89 grams of pickles, 34 grams of tomato sauce, and 30 grams of bananas. This menu consists of 150 grams of staple food, 123 grams of side dishes (animal and vegetable), 167 grams of vegetables, and 30 grams of fruit. This menu contains 689 kcal of energy, 16 grams of protein, 31 grams of fat, and 86 grams of carbohydrates. The collaboration between the Nutrition Science Study Program, FKM Unhas and Toyo Food Japan in the trial of nutritious meal menus for schoolchildren is in line with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 2: Zero Hunger, SDGs 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDGs 4: Quality Education. This program aims to improve the nutritional quality of schoolchildren, help prevent malnutrition, and support their optimal growth and development, which directly contributes to the achievement of food security and improved health (SDGs 2 and SDGs 3). In addition, by providing healthy food in the school environment, this collaboration can also improve students’ concentration and academic achievement, supporting the achievement of quality education (SDGs 4). From the aspect of innovation and global collaboration, the involvement of the Japanese food industry in this program supports SDGs 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure through technology transfer and development of nutrition-based food innovations. Furthermore, this program can inspire the local food industry to adopt better nutritional standards, in line with SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals, which emphasizes the importance of global partnerships in achieving sustainable development.
Prenatal Exercise Held in Jeneponto, FKM Unhas Students Raise Awareness of Maternal and Infant Health
Students from Post 6 of the Community Health Practice II program at the Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University (FKM Unhas), organized a prenatal exercise event at the Pattiro Village Office, Bangkala Barat District, Jeneponto Regency, South Sulawesi. This activity aimed to increase awareness among pregnant women about the importance of physical activity during pregnancy, provide education about the benefits of prenatal exercise, and encourage them to make exercise a part of their healthy lifestyle. This activity was motivated by data obtained from the first Community Health Practice (PBL I), which showed that only 48.8% of pregnant women in Pattiro Village actively participated in prenatal classes. The lack of awareness about the importance of physical activity during pregnancy became a major concern for the FKM Unhas students. The event was attended by six pregnant women from Pattiro Village, all students from Post 6 of the FKM Unhas PBL II program as organizers, local representatives, and local health cadres. The presence of these various parties demonstrated strong support for efforts to improve the welfare of pregnant women in Pattiro Village. The series of events began with providing brief education about the benefits of prenatal exercise, both for physical health and preparation for childbirth. This education was delivered in simple language to make it easily understood by the pregnant participants. This was followed by exercise that included light and safe movements tailored to the physical condition of pregnant women, such as stretching, breathing exercises, and movements that strengthen the pelvic and abdominal muscles. Ibu Isa dg Kanang, as a representative of the Pattiro Village health cadres, said that this activity was a form of concern for the lack of prenatal class activities, especially prenatal exercise, in Pattiro Village. “Through this activity, we hope that pregnant women can take advantage of and participate in prenatal exercise activities, and that these activities can continue in the future,” said Ibu Isa dg Kanang. In addition, this activity is also in line with the commitment of Hasanuddin University to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), pillar 3, regarding ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, in this case, especially the health of pregnant women and infants.The positive response from the pregnant women showed their high enthusiasm during this activity. “We are grateful for the exercise activities provided by the PBL students, because these activities are very beneficial for pregnant women and the movements are easy to do,” said Ibu Kartini. The activity concluded with a group photo session and the distribution of souvenirs as a form of appreciation for participating in the prenatal exercise activity in Pattiro Village.
