Background: Malaysia’s dependence on monoculture and food imports has reduced dietary diversity and increased the prevalence of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. Underutilised crops offer a promising alternative by improving nutrition and fostering a resilient local food system. However, gaps in knowledge, awareness, and market insight hinder their widespread use. Objectives and Methodologies: To address these gaps, this study: (1) investigates the nutritional composition and dietary potential of locally available underutilised crops through laboratory proximate analysis; (2) assesses the potential of these crops to improve the nutrient profile and consumer acceptability of food by developing innovative products and conducting sensory evaluations and surveys; and (3) evaluates the perceptions of small-scale women food entrepreneurs regarding the potential and challenges of using these crops in business settings via a pilot community intervention programme, employing survey questionnaires. Results: Nutritional profiling of 20 underutilised crops revealed significant variations in macronutrient composition, with protein content ranging from 2.3 to 26.2 g/100 g DM, crude fibre up to 42.1 g/100 g DM and energy (298.6 - 428.6 kCal/100 g DM). Clustering analysis categorised the crops into four distinct nutritional profiles: Cluster 1 (high protein), Cluster 2 (high mineral), Cluster 3 (balanced nutrition), and Cluster 4 (high fat and calorie). These nutritional variations and clusters highlight the diverse dietary benefits of these crops, demonstrating their potential to meet varied nutritional needs and address specific nutrient deficiencies in the communities. For product innovations, Clitoria ternatea (butterfly pea) flower, Lablab purpureus (lablab bean) seed, Schyzophillum commune (split gill mushroom) fruiting body, and Moringa oleifera (moringa) leaf were selected. The crops were transformed into four product prototypes, namely butterfly pea flower paste, split gill mushroom patty, moringa butter cookie, and lablab bean hashbrown, which were then assessed for their sensorial acceptance and nutritional value. Sensory evaluation showed moderate to high acceptance (6 - 7 on a 9-point scale), with moringa butter cookies and lablab bean hashbrowns being particularly well-received. The nutritional value of food products improved through both the incorporation of underutilised crops and their processing methods. Boil-blanched, steamed, and roasted moringa leaf powder showed significantly higher protein (12.1–12.2 g/100 g DM), fibre (0.4–0.6 g/100 g DM), and ash than the Control cookies. For hashbrowns, roasting increased protein by 132% (17.7 g/100 g DM), while boiling raised it by 96% compared to the Control. Roasted moringa powder in cookies resulted in reduced acceptability (7.5-24.2% lower scores across all liking attributes) but increased ash content (by 14.3%) compared to the boil-blanched powder. For the patty, the sautéed split gill mushrooms had higher lipids (by 7-9%) and energy (by 2-3%), while seared versions provided more minerals (by 5-7%). Blanching butterfly pea flowers lowered protein content (from 11.1 to 9.9 g/100 g DM) but slightly improved sensory appeal, particularly aroma (by 1.8%) and overall acceptability (by 1.9%), compared to unblanched flowers. This highlights that processing methods influenced product success, with compromises between nutrition and sensory acceptability. Consumer assessments via survey (n = 21-27; >80% aged 18-39) indicated positive consumption intent. Mean scores for likelihood to consume (3.6–3.9) were above the neutral point on a 5-point scale, approaching the "likely" anchor. Willingness to pay (mean = 3.0) approximated a "not more, not less" price point, suggesting the current formulation has market acceptance potential at a competitive price. Despite low familiarity with the specific underutilised crops (74 - 78% of respondents), affordability and accessibility were key drivers for consumer willingness to try underutilised crop-based foods. Price sensitivity strongly influenced demand (ρ = 0.754; p = 0.001), although higher-income groups showed willingness to pay premiums for value-added products. The pilot community intervention programme demonstrated significantly improved household dietary diversity, with a 38.9% increase in food group consumption, including the vitamin A-rich food groups. This improvement is consistent with the intervention's delivery mechanisms of disseminating a handbook on 60 underutilised crops, recipe sharing, and distributing ingredients. Underutilised crop consumption was still infrequent, with large variations, from 10.5 days/month for Garcinia atroviridis fruits to near-negligible levels for L. purpureus. Motivations for this consumption included liking (38%), for health benefits (13%), and for culinary use (20%). The entrepreneurs demonstrated awareness of the nutritional benefits, perceiving underutilised crops as beneficial for general health, medicinal purposes, and functional nutrition, with 75% believing that underutilised crops could improve household nutrition. However, the entrepreneurs showed limited adoption of the four developed product prototypes, with only two out of 23 businesses successfully integrating them. Despite that, most of them recognised the market potential of these products and demonstrated growing interest through the development of 22 product variations. Barriers, including consumer scepticism (40%), knowledge and familiarity gaps among entrepreneurs (30%), difficulties in preparation (30%) and product sensory challenges (20%), remain a hindrance for adoption. In a pre-post evaluation (n = 10; mean age 44.3), the food development workshop objectively improved cooking skills (by 12.3%) and awareness of underutilised crops (by 13.3%). However, it had significant changes on nutritional knowledge, and business readiness remained low due to persistent concerns over marketability and product development. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the significant potential of underutilised crops to enhance food security and nutrition in Malaysia across three critical dimensions: (1) their inherent nutritional quality, (2) innovative food product applications, and (3) entrepreneurial adoption pathways. To fully realise this potential requires the dissemination of knowledge and awareness, improving the product variations and quality, and strengthening the business pathways. These interventions will be crucial for facilitating broader adoption and maximising the impact of underutilised crops in Malaysia's food system.
Advina Lizah Binti Julkifle (Sat,) studied this question.
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