Animal-based food products are foods derived from animals, such as milk, eggs, and meat. These foods are sources of animal protein that contain essential amino acids and micronutrients necessary for the body to support children’s growth and development. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health Regulation (PMK) No. 28 of 2019 on the recommended daily nutritional intake for Indonesians, the daily protein intake requirement varies by age: 15 grams/day for children aged 6-11 months, 20 grams/day for children aged 1-3 years, 25 grams/day for children aged 4-6 years, and 40 grams/day for children aged 7-9 years. Meeting the daily nutritional and protein intake needs in children supports their height growth during school age (5-10 years). If neglected, this could potentially slow brain development, resulting in mental retardation, low learning ability, and an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
The community service activity of the DPP SPP and the thematic KKN (Student Community Service Programme) for the 2023/2024 academic year, led by Drh. Citra Sari, M.Si and supported by students Aqilah Tijani and Erika Putri, organised a programme to teach animal-based food materials at the elementary school level (grades 4, 5, and 6). This programme was held from 15 July to 9 August 2024. Through this activity, elementary school students learned about the benefits of consuming milk, eggs, and meat, as well as simple methods for testing the quality of animal-based food products, including (1) Testing for borax in meatballs and cilok; (2) Soaking eggs to assess their quality; (3) Differentiating between fresh milk, pasteurised milk, and UHT milk. The teaching material educated students to be cautious when purchasing snacks from random places and encouraged them to choose healthier snacks that benefit their health. The students participated enthusiastically, with one student from the 5th grade at SDN Sisir 01 in Batu City expressing, “This activity is really fun, and I hope it happens more often.”
At the end of the Community Service and Thematic KKN programme, a module in the form of a book on teaching animal-based food materials was presented to the school. This module aims to enrich the reading material available to elementary school students and enhance their knowledge. The module is a collaborative work by the KKN students and the supervising lecturers, serving as an output of the activity.