Feedback from the Optifood national workshop - 'Using the Optifood Tool for Diet Analysis' organised by LANSA and hosted by MSSRF for the first time in India for nutritionists in October 2014 promoted the phase 2 follow-up workshop in April this year. The five-day (April 4 - 8, 2016) hands-on training had several objectives and the main goal was to work with data sets from India based on food consumption pattern and design cost-effective food-based recommendations using locally available foods for the Indian community.

 

Elaine Ferguson, senior lecturer at Frances Knight, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine facilitated the programme. About 10 nutritionists from various Indian institutions: National Institute of Nutrition and PJTS Agricultural University, Hyderabad, UNICEF representatives from Delhi and Bhubaneswar, Institute of Home Economics, New Delhi and LANSA nutritionists from MSSRF participated. The workshop began with a short overview of the tool including types of analysis that can be done and different uses of results.

 

The participants were split into groups and with different case studies from different countries, they presented on how the Optifood tool was used and presented in the studies. This activity encouraged better understanding of the different ways to present results of the tool. Demonstrations on data preparations and uploading the same onto Optifood tool software was done on Day 1. They then worked in groups with their own data sets and the facilitators helped out as and when there was a need for the rest of the workshop.  

 

Day 5 of the workshop witnessed participants working with the Optifood tool individually. Quick feedback was that five days was insufficient to run an analysis and produce tables for publication as well. Workshop assessment on the last day showed an increase from 2 to 4 out of 5 in Likert scale when it came to knowledge and skill level of participants. There was overall acceptance of the Optifood tool and participants committed to using it in their forthecoming projects.