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Friday, March 29, 2024

Food technology: Nutriset an ally in fight vs malnutrition

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One in three Filipino children below five years old suffers from either acute malnutrition or stunting.

In addition to this, the Philippine government estimates that over 4.2 million children are stunted (short for their age, also called chronic malnutrition) and that more than 300,000 children under 5 years old are severely thin for their height, referred to as acute malnutrition.

The high prevalence of malnutrition in the Philippines is linked to low access to essential health and nutrition services by the poor and marginalized, a situation exacerbated by recurring natural disasters and conflicts.

But thanks to Nutriset, the government has an ally in the fight against malnutrition. 

Nutriset, malnutrition
Immediate availability of nutritional products is key to improve access to essential health services to vulnerable communities.

Directly contributing to the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022, Nutriset manufactures and supplies nutritional food products elaborated with scientists to prevent and treat malnutrition.

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In the Philippines, Nutriset offers a range of 20 products registered with the FDA, available with 2 distributors. The Department of Health has already ordered 3.5MT of Nutriset products to care for 25,500 children.

Immediate availability of nutritional products is key to improve access to essential health services to vulnerable communities. Nutriset is looking to have its global stocking capabilities available in Metro Manila and Cebu.

More information is available at www.nutriset.ph.

Nutriset is a pioneering company, dedicated to the fight malnutrition. Headquartered in France, Nutriset is part of the Nutriset Groupe that focuses on the development of a sustainable agro-industry, nutrition and access to high-quality food. 

Founded 30 years ago by Michel Lescanne, helmed by Adeline Lescanne-Gautier as General Manager, the Nutriset Group currently employs 250 employees worldwide and established PlumpyField® a global agroindustry network that manufactures its products closer to where the needs are. Together they share the same mandate to contribute to nutritional autonomy for all. 

Lescanne, himself, was a recipient of the European Inventor Award for 2015, the same year Nutriset received the prestigious Patents for Humanity Award.

A key partner of the World Food Programme and Unicef, Nutriset defines nutritional autonomy for all as the “capacity of a country or community to set up a sustainable system to identify and make accessible the nutrients required for the development and good health of its population.”

As of 2018, 17 million people suffering from malnutrition, mostly children, received care using Nutriset products. Key regions targeted are Africa and Asia. The activity of the company directly contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals which include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, among others.

Nutriset products cover two key areas, namely prevention of stunting (chronic malnutrition) and management of acute malnutrition (prevention and treatment).

Studies show that children whose diet lacks the micronutrients that are essential in the early stage of life, starting from conception to two years old, are at risk of negative impacts in their future motor and cognitive development. 

Nutriset has developed a product range that, integrated to health programs and care plans, is an essential solution to prevent chronic malnutrition and support the healthy growth of children.

Prevention of malnutrition during these first 1,000 days of life is central to the RA1148, or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act,” which aims to scale up the national and local health nutrition programs through a strengthened integrated strategy for maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition.

Nutriset provides pregnant and breastfeeding moms, and children up to the age of two years, with the following product range: Enov® (retail, first 1000 days), that prevent stunting (also referred to as chronic malnutrition); Enov MumTM, which provides pregnant and lactating women with nutritional support, while improving the development of the foetus (during pregnancy) and the infant (through breastfeeding) and Enov Nutributter®, which delivers the micronutrients that help improves children’s growth, and support their motor and cognitive development.

In management of acute malnutrition (prevention and treatment), children and adults affected by acute malnutrition require specific care and health professional supervision. Humanitarian assistance and health programs have protocols and guidelines in place that describe the usage of specialized food products, called Ready-to-Use Food (RUF), designed for the prevention or for the treatment of acute malnutrition.

Nutriset is at the origin of this category of products, which it created in the 1990s by inventing Plumpy’Nut®, the world’s first Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), now used globally to treat millions of children every year. Ever since, Nutriset has developed the Plumpy® range, and other products to address global acute malnutrition.

The Plumpy® product range is as follows: Several acute malnutrition, Plumpy’Nut® (often combined with therapeutic milks F-75/F-100); Moderate acute malnutrition, Plumpy’SupTM or Plumpy’MumTM; and Prevention of acute malnutrition, Plumpy’DozTM.

These products, high in energy, are generally used in emergencies and situations of acute food shortage when energy, macro- and micronutrients, and essential fatty acids requirements cannot be met by locally available/accessible foods, or when the state of the patient requires it.

Nutriset catalog includes products used to treat diarrhea and dehydration, as well as disinfect water. The reason is that diarrheal diseases can lead to malnutrition. which in turn increases sensitivity to diarrhea.

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