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The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, it aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) government suppliers involved in government green procurement (GGP). Second, it examines the differences in the impact of COVID-19 between small and medium-sized groups.

The study used a questionnaire survey that was distributed to SMEs listed in the MyHIJAU directory that supply green goods and services to the government. Of the total 394 sample respondents, 126 usable questionnaires were received, representing a usable response rate of 31.98%. Descriptive analysis of mean score, standard deviation and mean score ranking was used to analyse the overall results. A t-test analysis was carried out to examine the differences between the small and medium-sized groups of companies.

The study discovers that the SME government suppliers involved in GGP were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The top ranked impacts are that “the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened health and safety practices among the employees”, “the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced company’s turnover”, “the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the company to implement a cost reduction strategy”, “the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the company’s ability to deliver work, supplies or services to the government” and “the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the company to incur higher production costs for green products or services provided”. However, there is no significant difference between the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the small and medium-sized group of enterprises.

The present study is among the fewer studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular focus on SME government suppliers involved in GGP.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the scope of the addition of seaweed powders for the development of low-salt and fibre-enriched pork nuggets.

Three different seaweeds, namely, Kappaphycus alvarezii, Ulva lactuca and Sargassum tenerrimum, were incorporated separately at 3%, 4% and 5% levels to develop low-salt and fibre-enriched pork nuggets. A total of nine treatments (T1–T9) were compared the following incorporation of different percentages of seaweed powder, alongside a control. All the samples were investigated for physico-chemical parameters (pH, cooking yield and emulsion stability), proximate composition, colour, texture profile analysis and sensory characteristics.

With the incorporation of seaweed powders, the level of salt to be added was reduced in the formulation. All the treatments had higher (p = 0.05) cooking yield (%) and emulsion stability (%) than the control, along with an increase (p = 0.05) in total dietary fibre (TDF), irrespective of the type of seaweed added. Incorporation of seaweed significantly (p = 0.05) increased the hardness and chewiness of the products. On sensory analysis, out of all the treatments, T2 was found to have the highest scores in terms of various sensory attributes and was also found comparable to control. The study shows that based on physicochemical, proximate and sensory properties, out of all the tried levels, 4% Kappaphycus alvarezii powder can be incorporated for the development of low-salt and fibre-enriched pork nuggets.

The study highlighted the use of seaweeds as a functional ingredient in development of low-salt, fibre-enriched pork nuggets. It would result in improving yield and key nutritional and sensory attributes with a simultaneous decrease in the level of salt to be added in processing. Further, it would also provide an opportunity to use underutilized nutrient sources, i.e. seaweeds, which will also help in an overall reduction of the cost of developed products.

The technology for developing pork nuggets using seaweed powders is simple and can be easily adopted by small-scale entrepreneurs and processors. The product developed in his study can have a wider consumer base in terms of superior functionality.

Research on the development of low-salt, fibre-enriched pork nuggets incorporating seaweed powders is very limited. Utilization of seaweeds in meat product formulations represents a promising and innovative approach, aimed at enhancing nutritional profiles while maintaining desirable textural and sensory characteristics. This novel area of study leverages unique functional characteristics of seaweeds, such as high fibre content and natural mineral richness, to create healthier products, which is in consonance with the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Good health and well-being. Exploring the potential of seaweeds aligns with the growing demand for functional meat products alongside addressing consumers’ preference for products with lower sodium content without compromising sensory quality.