NATIONAL HEART INSTITUTE STAFF COMPETE IN A LOW FAT, HEART HEALTHY COOKING COMPETITION, JOINTLY ORGANISED WITH PHILIPS MALAYSIA

Emcee of the day Alan Bligh

FANS of deep-fried food know this cooking method is bad news for their hearts. However, using Philips Airfryer’s rapid air technology means they can now enjoy the taste of their favourite deep-fried dishes without using extra oil in the preparation. This was the focus of the “FATCHECK for a Healthy Heart” cooking competition jointly organised by the National Heart Institute (IJN) and Philips Malaysia, at AEON Big Mid Valley on last Saturday.

Twelve teams, comprising IJN staff, as well as their family members and friends, had participated in the preliminary round of the cooking competition at AEON BiG Subang Jaya on May 16. The teams were tasked with whipping up a low fat nutritious dish in 30 minutes, using a mystery ingredient, and prepared using the Philips Airfryer.


Six winning teams were then selected to compete at the grand cook-off today, and this time the teams had the greater challenge of cooking a complete meal based on recipes they were required to submit beforehand.

 It was a busy Saturday morning where the teams get started cooking and the judges having hard time to decide who to win.

The cook-off was judged by Mary Easaw, IJN Chief Dietitian; Foong Pui Hing, IJN Principal Dietitian; Chef Marina Mustafa cookbook author and food stylist and Muhammad Ali Jaleel, Muhammad Ali Jaleel, Country Manager for Philips Group of Companies in Malaysia and General Manager, Consumer Lifestyle for Philips Malaysia. The teams were judged based on the nutritional value, taste, hygiene, creativity and presentation of the competing recipes.

According to Easaw, the competition was intended to show the public they can enjoy low fat heart healthy diet without skimping on taste. She said, “We Malaysians tend to use a lot of cooking oil in our daily cooking as we have a tendency to prefer fried food. The high dietary fat intake raises triglycerides and total cholesterol namely LDL, which result in clogged arteries and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Now, they can enjoy their favourite fried foods using this low-fat cooking method.”


“As the leading heart institute in the region, IJN continues to promote heart health awareness among Malaysians. This is in line with Phillips mission to promote healthier and sustainable lifestyle and we are happy to work with them towards a mutual cause,” she said.

Mr Ali Jaleel (Philips Malaysia Country Manager)


Mr Jaleel said it was an honour to work with IJN for the FATCHECK for a Healthy Heart community education programme. “At Philips, we strive to improve lives through innovation that we incorporate into our appliances. While we are sharing information on how technology makes it easier to stay healthy, IJN’s medical and dietetic expertise on heart health is adding great value to the programme, allowing the public to have deeper understanding on eating healthier,” he said.


Ali added that the Philips Airfryer is indeed ideal for people who want to enjoy their food while maintaining a healthy heart. The unique Rapid Air technology, the Philips Airfryer allows for the excess oil and fat from food to be drained during cooking, and used to cook the same food, which then enables cooking without adding lots of extra oil. Thus, consumers can lose the oil, but not the taste,” he said.


For most of the IJN staff who took part in this competition, this was their first time using the Philips Airfryer. Recipes produced showcased the versatility of the appliance in grilling, baking and even roasting food healthier, faster and more conveniently.

The judges (from left to right) Ms Foong, Chef Marina, Puan Mary & Grand Prize winners with Mr.Jaleel
Grand Prize winner is Team Safron *Herb Crusted Fish
Azwan Bin Ibrahim and Nur Laili Bt Dasril


1st Runner is Team BFF 97 *Stuffed Chicken
Norasiah Bt Mohd Tajuddin and Nurul Azreen Bt Abd Aziz


2nd Runner is Team Muhibbah *Fish Curry and Chappati
Monsor Bin Mohd and Kalaywani a/p Marimuthu

Consolation Prize

Team Foodwrapz *Mongolian Chicken Wrap
Azran Bin Ahmad and Nur Atiqah Anuar

Team La-Last Minute *Light Shrimp and Spinach Quiche
Ainalida Mohamad Jalil and Khutrun Nada Zulkifli

Team Va The Girl Va*Patties Oat Salmon
Mohd Riza Bin Sidek and Nor Suzilawati Bt Idris

Once again, congrats to winners that took part in the Heart Healthy Cooking Competition.

Grand prize winners received a Philips Viva Collection Digital AirFryer (worth RM1,699) and Philips Electric Pressure Cooker (worth RM649) each; the first runners-up team brought home a Philips Viva Collection Digital AirFryer (worth RM1,499) and Philips Electric Pressure Cooker (worth RM529) each; the second runners-up team received a Philips Viva Collection AirFryer (worth RM1,499); while the remaining finalists received a Philips Soymilk Maker (worth RM529) each.
All in all, it was an exciting competition and contestants will be contributing their recipes to an upcoming low-fat, heart healthy cookbook. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will be donated to the IJN Foundation.

For more information, visit FATCHECK at https://www.facebook.com/MyFatCheck