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- PublicationNutrition kap and nutritional status: A comparison between malaysian chinese and mainland chinese students at USM Health Campus(2026-01)Jia, Xiapractices (KAP) and nutritional status between Malaysian Chinese and Mainland Chinese students at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Health Campus in Kelantan. A cross-sectional research design was employed, involving a total of 70 university students (Malaysian Chinese: n=37, Mainland Chinese: n=33). Data collection was conducted using a validated self-administered questionnaire to assess nutrition KAP, while a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was utilized to evaluate dietary patterns. Nutritional status was assessed through anthropometric measurements and body composition analysis using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), including Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, basal metabolic rate (BMR), visceral fat, bone mass and muscle mass. Statistical analyses, including Independent Samples T-test and Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's Exact Test and Chi-square Test were performed to identify significant differences between the two groups. The primary objective was to determine how cultural background, and the university food environment influence the dietary choices and nutritional status of students from same ethnic but different countries.
- PublicationDevelopment of a plant-based patty incorporating green banana (musa spp.) flour and white oyster mushroom (pleurotus ostreatus): Physical, nutritional, and sensory evaluation(2026-01)Fen, Tan TzerPlant-based meat analogues have become increasingly popular due to concerns over the environmental sustainability, animal welfare and health risks associated with meat consumption. White oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) serves as a promising plant-based meat analogue due to its nutritional and health benefits. Bananas (Musa spp.) are widely produced and consumed globally, but a significant amount is discarded during the grading process due to substandard qualities. Green bananas could potentially be used as a novel ingredient to improve the nutritional profile of food while combating post-harvest loss. This study evaluated the effect of partially substituting chickpea flour with green banana flour (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) on the physical properties, nutritional composition and sensory acceptability of plant-based patties. Results revealed significant improvements (p<0.05) in cooking yield and nutritional profile of plant-based patties with green banana flour incorporation. The 100% substitution yielded the highest cooking yield (p<0.05) at 85.67% and the lowest diameter reduction at 1.46%. Fat content and calorific value decreased in line with the green banana flour levels in cooked plant-based patties. 100% green banana flour patty recorded the lowest (p<0.05) fat content (5.02%) and calorific value (223.05 kcal/100g). Cooked plant-based patty formulated with 25% green banana flour had a lower protein content of 15.87% than the control patty (15.92%), but it was not significant. The textural properties of plant-based patties were not affected except for cohesiveness. However, higher levels of green banana flour incorporation (75%-100%) darkened the colour, thus reducing the appearance and colour scores. The lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values in cooked plant-based patties decreased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of green banana flour. All sensory attributes of the plant-based patty formulated with 25% green banana flour were comparable to the control patty. In summary, the incorporation of green banana flour at 25% to partially replace the chickpea flour can be recommended to lower fat and calorific value without compromising protein or sensory acceptability. This study demonstrated that green banana flour serves as a locally sourced, sustainable ingredient for plant-based patties.
- PublicationThe physicochemical, nutritional and sensory properties of cookies made with greek yogurt as a fat replacer(2026-01)Zahazunizam, Siti Alyaa MaisarahThe reformulation of baked products with reduced fat content remains a major challenge due to the functional role of fat in determining product quality. This study investigated how replacing butter with Greek yoghurt affected the physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory properties of cookies. Greek yoghurt was used in place of butter at 25%, 50%, and 75% levels in cookie formulations, along with a control formulation. Standard analytical methods were used to analyse the proximate composition, caloric value, texture profile, physical characteristics, colour parameters, and sensory attributes. The quality of cookies was significantly impacted by the substitution of Greek yoghurt (p < 0.05). Protein and moisture contents increased as substitution levels increased, while fat and calorie values significantly decreased. Physical analysis revealed that as thickness increased, the diameter and spread ratio decreased, indicating limited dough flow and improved structural setting during baking. Significant differences in hardness and fracturability were found by texture profile analysis, with higher substitution resulting in firmer and less brittle cookies. Increased lightness, redness, and yellowness were found in colour analysis, which was explained by stronger Maillard reactions. Consumer acceptability decreased at higher substitution levels, according to sensory evaluation, but cookies with 25% Greek yoghurt retained favourable sensory qualities. Overall, Greek yoghurt works well as a partial fat replacement in cookies, improving nutritional quality while reducing energy density. Greek yoghurt has the potential to be used in the creation of healthier baked goods; a substitution level of 25% was found to be ideal for striking a balance between health benefits and sensory acceptability.
- PublicationThe influence of social media food trends on food choices among undergraduate students at the school of health sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus(2026-01)Jamari, Nurul JazminaSocial media profoundly reshapes food perceptions among university students, necessitating a critical quantitative investigation into its influence on 351 undergraduate health science students in Malaysia who are expected to maintain higher health literacy. The study aimed to quantify the exposure and effect of social media food trends on food choices and to identify the main affected food-choice attributes, utilizing a cross-sectional design with statistical tests to compare influence groups. The results determined that 48.7% of the sample showed Moderate Engagement with food-related content. A statistically significant difference was found in eight food-choice characteristics across influence groups, where the High Influence group valued these factors more, while Price remained consistently high across all groups without significant differences. Crucially, when ranking influential factors, Sensory Appeal was the characteristic of Highest Importance, significantly outweighing health-focused variables such as Health and Convenience. This high prioritization of hedonic factors over health-based ones necessitates targeted health promotion programs to improve the digital media literacy and health-wise decision-making of health science students.
- PublicationAn assessment of food safety culture among food vendors in a night market in Meru, Klang(2026-01)Sukur, Nurfarah LinaThe maintenance of food safety standards in night markets requires a thorough evaluation of food vendors’ food safety culture (FSC). The purpose of this study is to assess the food safety culture among food vendors in a night market in Meru, Klang, and the association of food safety culture scores with demographic and experience-related factors. For this cross-sectional study, 149 food vendors from three night markets in Meru were examined for the relationship between FSC scores and demographic and experience-related factors. The data were evaluated using nonparametric statistics to find cultural consistency. The descriptive analysis found work pressure as the most consistent indicator (median = 5.00, IQR = 0.00) and risk judgment as the lowest-ranked indicator (median = 3.33, IQR = 1.5). The inferential statistics found there is no difference in the level of food safety culture and demographic factors (p > 0.05), but there is a difference in the level of food safety culture and experience-related factors (p < 0.05). The study comes to the conclusion that focused educational initiatives and time are the main factors that determine the quality of FSC.