Before Choosing Formula Milk, Parents Need to Check the Origin of the Ingredients and the Process

JAKARTA - Choosing nutritional products for children often starts with reading the back of the package. Parents usually pay attention to the content of nutrients, the composition of ingredients, to the claims offered by a product. However, there are other things that are no less important to pay attention to, namely where the main ingredients come from and how the process is until it becomes a product that children consume. Information regarding the origin of raw materials and the production process can help parents get a more complete picture before making a choice. Moreover, nutritional products such as milk formula are part of daily intake so that aspects of safety and quality need to be considered together with their nutritional content. Prof. Dr. dr. Rini Sekartini, Sp.A(K), pediatrician consultant for growth and development - social pediatrics, said parents should not only look at the additional content in formula milk, but also pay attention to the main composition and the source of the materials used. "Fresh milk as the main composition, as well as formulations without maltodextrin and synthetic flavors, are one of the important things for parents to pay attention to. After seeing the process firsthand, I also saw an explanation about the source of milk and how the quality is maintained from the farm to the production facility is very important. Complete information like this can help parents choose more confidently and calmly," said Prof. DR. dr. Rini Sekartini, Sp.A(K) in an Ace Fresh Journey press release received by VOI, Tuesday, September 8. According to him, openness about the source of milk and the processing process can help parents understand the product more thoroughly. With this information, parents not only know what is in the package, but also have an overview of the journey of the raw materials. Information like this can be one of the considerations when evaluating a product. The reason is that the quality of raw materials is not only related to the final composition, but also how the materials are obtained and handled before entering the production process. This was also felt by Denny Sumargo as the AceKid Brand Ambassador who admitted that he had previously paid more attention to the information listed on the packaging. "Until now, we may have seen more information on the packaging without really knowing how the product was made. After seeing the farm directly to the production process, I just understood where the source of milk came from and how the quality was maintained. This openness makes us as parents understand the product more completely and more confident in determining the choice for the child," said Denny. Meanwhile, Ryana Dea, an actress and mother, admitted that she got a new picture of how milk quality is maintained from the farm. "After coming directly, I only knew that the quality of the milk had been maintained since the farm environment, cow health, feed, to the milking process. I understand more why knowing the source of milk is also important for parents. Moreover, after routinely giving AceKid, from my personal experience, the child feels more comfortable and no longer often fussy because of bloating after drinking milk," said Ryana. FEIHE AceKid Smart Factory. (doc. AceKid) At the FEIHE AceKid Smart Factory facility, for example, fresh milk as one of the main ingredients is processed using the One-Step Fresh Process. The manufacturer also mentions that each batch passes through 25 production stages and 411 quality checks. Parents still need to place information about the production process in proportion. Claims from manufacturers should be read together with other available information, such as a list of composition, nutrient content, target age group, serving instructions, storage, and product distribution permits. Parents also do not need to be stuck on only one specific content or claim when comparing nutritional products. Each child's needs are different, so the product that is right for one child is not necessarily the same choice for another child. In this case, transparency can be one way for parents to have more complete information before making decisions. However, this information still needs to be compared with the individual needs of the child and when necessary consider advice from health workers.