IPB Students Utilize Silk Waste for Food Supplement of the Elderly
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 2015, the number of elderly population in Indonesia in 2014 reached 20.24 million people. This increased from the figure in the year 2013, 20.04 million people. Such increase can lead to various problems such as the aging process, i.e., osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can be prevented by consuming the food rich in sufficient bone minerals: calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P).
Calcium and phosphorus are minerals that can help reduce the risk of bone loss in the elderly. Calcium functions to maintain bones and teeth, while phosphorus is for the formation of bones and teeth. One source of food rich in calcium and phosphorus is pury flour.
Students of the Faculty of Human Ecology (FEMA) Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Cindy Carissa and four fellows studied the food supplement of the elderly. It is based on the common health problems among the elderly, that is, decreased bone density and bone strength. Bone is the body's support and passive body moving tool in performing activities. Bone strength and density decreases with age. This is because the bone loses its minerals, so the elderly prone to osteoporosis.
For this reason, Cindy conducted a study entitled "Sprinkle Pury, Based-Pury (Bombyx mori) Development of Sprinkle Rich in Ca and P as a Mineral Supplement for Elderly"
"Pupae-Mulberry (Pury) powder is a bright yellow flour made from extracts of mulberry pupa as a by-product of untapped or wasted silk spinning business. One of the products that can be made from Pury flour is Sprinkle Pury," said Cindy.
Cindy said, Sprinkle Pury is consumed by sprinkling it to the food to be consumed by the elderly. This product is packed in a small package, so it is practical to carry anywhere. Sprinkle Pury uses fish as a flavor to have an acceptable aroma by all consumers. The addition of fish flavor will also further increase the content of protein, calcium and phosphorus.
To make sprinkle Pury is easy – mix Pury flour, make a dough, add corn flour, mill to form a circle, and bake, and the resulted product is made to form sprinkle. Until now this product is still in the process of making and formulation. The study is being conducted at the Food Experiment Laboratory as well as the Chemical and Food Analysis Laboratory, Department of Community Nutrition, FEMA IPB.
Cindy hopes through this research sprinkle Pury can be an additional intake for elderly, with an optimal content of calcium and phosphor to increase the intake to meet the nutrition requirement. (Mtd)
