Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia –The five finalist teams of the Jom  Airfry dan Menang cooking competition, carefully selected from the numerous entries received, took to the big stage today for the grand finale cook-off at Tropicana City Mall. The Jom Airfry dan Menang competition was organised by Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) and Philips Malaysia as part of their continued partnership for the FATCHECK For A Healthy Heart programme. In the grand finale organised in partnership with AEON BiG, the five pairs of airfrying enthusiasts battled it out to win prizes totalling over RM35,000.

The Jom Airfry dan Menang competition was organised in support of the World Heart Federation’s annual World Heart Day celebration, which aims to increase awareness on cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In line with the World Heart Federation’s ‘Power Your Life’ campaign, Philips aims to encourage people to take personal responsibility for leading heart-healthy lives, starting by eating healthy. For the competition, participants in teams of two were required to submit low-fat recipes of heart-friendly meals made using an airfryer to be eligible. The finalist teams were then selected based on the healthfulness and presentation of their recipes, the creative usage of the airfryer as well as the amateur chefs’ own personal story using the airfryer.

“Philips’ focus on heart health encompasses prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Our new partnership with the World Heart Federation is an important element of our commitment to drive prevention of CVD by highlighting the risk factors associated with CVD and to help people make better choices and develop healthier habits for life,” said Mr Muhammad Ali Jaleel, Chief Executive Officer for Philips Group of Companies in Malaysia. “This is also our second year working with IJN for the FATCHECK for a Healthy Heart community education programme as it is our shared mission to create deeper understanding of heart-healthy eating among the public.”

“This year, we are happy to see the participation of people who enjoy whipping up airfried dishes and are conscious about leading a healthy lifestyle through heart-healthy meals. With kitchen appliances such as the Philips Airfryer Turbostar, Philips strives to continue improving lives by offering innovative products,” Mr Ali added. “The Philips Airfryer Turbostar is the latest addition to our range of kitchen appliances. With it comes the option of enjoying heart-healthy,low-fat cooking that is easy and fuss-free without compromising on taste. The dishes prepared today by our finalists with their passion for airfrying are great examples of what the Airfryer can do with less to no oil at all,”

Prior to the grand finale cook-off, the final five teams attended a masterclass session where they had the opportunity to learn from Celebrity Chef Zamzani Wahab and Puan Mary Easaw, chief dietician from IJN, on cooking under pressure and recommended nutritional requirements respectively. The teams were able to apply their knowledge from the masterclass in the grand finale showdown today.

To add to the challenge faced by the finalists, the grand finale cook-off featured a mystery box which held a secret ingredient that had to be included in the final dish. In one hour, participants had to whip up a two-course meal for two consisting of a low-fat nutritious main course and a dessert using the Philips Airfryer.

“Reducing fat intake has emerged as one of the public’s biggest challenges in Malaysia. In fact, the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey in 2014 found that most of us are eating way too much fat, with median intake standing at 46.43 grams per day. These observations were very significant because excessive fat intake increases your risk of a heart attack. Moreover, the National Health & Morbidity Survey 2015 showed that 30% of Malaysians are overweight with 17.7% of them being obese. 47.7% also have high cholesterol. This is extremely alarming for Malaysia. In fact, over 90% of heart disease patients have at least one of those cardiovascular risk factors – a point that was made by the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Databases – Acute Coronary Syndrome (NCVD-ACS) initiative,” said Dato’ Seri Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub, Chief Executive Officer of IJN.

He added on, “I am glad that the participants had the opportunity to learn more about the importance of a balanced nutritious diet and were able to apply their knowledge from the masterclass to the grand finale cook-off. Educating Malaysians on their recommended nutritional requirements is a crucial part of the programme and helps Malaysians lead a healthier lifestyle.”

The cook-off finale was judged by Dato’ Seri Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub; Puan Mary Easaw; Celebrity Chef and cookbook author Marina Mustafa and Mr Muhammad Ali Jaleel. The dishes were judged based on their taste, appearance and nutritional value.

The winning teams won the following:

• Grand prize winners – RM10,000 worth of Philips products and IJN Men and Women Wellness Package worth RM3,000
• Second prize winners – RM7,000 worth of Phiips products and IJN Essential Wellness Package worth RM1,900
• Third prize winners – RM5,000 worth of Philips products and IJN Essential Wellness Package worth RM1,900
• Consolation prize winners – RM1,500 worth of IJN Fitness and Wellness Package

Apart from the grand finale of the Jom Airfry dan Menang cooking competition, the weekend roadshow at Tropicana City Mall in conjunction with the grand finale also offered free public health screening by IJN to first 100 visitors, promotions on IJN Wellness packages and a showcase of Philips’ appliances.

For more information on the FATCHECK For A Healthy Heart competition and programme, visit www.fatcheck.my or www.facebook.com/MyFatCheck.