BKKBN Asks The Government To Announce Kelor Leaves As Indonesian Typical Food Materials

Kelor leaves or Moringa Oleifera. (Pixabay-Iskandar63)

JAKARTA - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) asked the government to declare Moringa Oleifera as one of Indonesia's typical foodstuffs.

"My hope can be declared as national food first. So if the Minister of Health (Menkes Budi Gunadi Sadikin) might want more for export. For me, I want to declair local food as national food," said Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo on Thursday, March 9, confiscated by Antara.

Hasto said, kelor leaves are one type of food that is still very local. Kelor can be planted anywhere and can be obtained at an affordable price. Unfortunately, many people still do not know the kelor.

Even though the kelor plant, which consists of leaves, seeds, and roots, has a very good nutritional content for the brain and nerves of the baby, toddlers, and also pregnant women.

A number of nutritional ingredients contained in kelor are vitamins A, calcium, and vitamin C, which are no less than carrots or tomatoes. Hasto also said kelor contains essential amino acids that resemble amino acids in animal protein.

"If specifically for pregnant women and so on (baby and toddler), it does require special substances that are not inngseng, coffee, or tea. So it must contain protein," he said.

Therefore, if you want to bring kelor to a wider realm, Hasto suggested that research be carried out more carefully and following the directions and protocols of nutritionists. Because, kelor is a type of plant that has its own uniqueness.

"This needs to be studied in more detail because to process the existing Moringa and also researched by the experts, the leaves are only taken, so the handles cannot be attached. Because it can reduce or neutralize its properties, such as anti-dotum," he said.

Research must also measure a dose that is appropriate for people's age to be consumed. This is because pregnant women have their own nutritional intake dose. Including whether kelor properties can replace animal protein.

Hasto stated that the BKKBN and its staff are also doing the same thing, namely campaigning for the benefits of local food to fight stunting. Where not only stunted, the BKKBN also promotes the importance of animal protein intake from eggs, fish and fortified rice.

"Right now, actually, if we look at the production of kelor in Palu, NTT, Central Java in Blora, almost all of them have been exported and I see the products. The variability is good, you know, some are made of tea to brew, some are in the form of seedling powder which is then used for food. I think it's ready," he said.

Previously, the Indonesian Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin wanted the benefits of kelor plants in Indonesia to be accepted by the international community.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi said kelor could be a traditional food and Indonesian herbal plants as ginseng from Korea. So that serious research is needed to be able to bring kelor into the international world.

"We will make kelor one of Indonesia's traditional and herbal foods. We will formally research, support its research so that it can be accepted by international circles," he said.