Plumpy'nut

Plumpy'nut, also known as Plumpy, is a high-energy peanut butter paste for the treatment of acute malnutrition in the field of humanitarian aid. It was developed by French researchers Michel Lescanne and André Briend. The designation consists of the words plump ( fat ) and peanut together ( peanut ). Plumpy'nut is by the World Health Organization ( WHO) as " therapeutic foods " (english Ready to Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF ) classified.

Composition and use

The paste consists of peanut butter, powdered milk, oil and sugar. Added also are vital vitamins and minerals. The flavor is similar to a sweet peanut butter. The nutritional value of a package with a weight of 92 grams is 500 kilocalories. As an advantage over other construction food has been found that is based on oil Plumpy'nut and not to water. Thus, it is firstly edible without germ-free water must be added, on the other hand, it is also out of the box relatively well preserved against food spoilage microorganisms. The shelf life of the packaged state is around two years.

Since Plumpy'nut can be consumed directly, the patients for the treatment of malnutrition do not have to be hospitalized. Children can consume themselves or are simply fed by their parents without help, so nursing staff is relieved. Due to the soft consistency Plumpy'nut can be eaten by children with not yet fully developed teeth. The cost of a four-week treatment of a child with Plumpy'nut be around 20 U.S. dollars. For the above reasons, the peanut paste has become a standard product for use by relief organizations. In addition, an advantage for the logistics in the transportation and distribution is the ratio of the weight and size of the bolt.

Plumpy'nut is a registered trademark of Nutriset. In 2004 the company made ​​twelve million euro sales of the product, which roughly corresponds to a doubling since 2001. For cost reasons, franchise companies are planned, with the delivery of accessories and quality control of Nutriset is adopted. Production facilities already exist in Niger.

Nutritionists suggest that treatment with Plumpy'nut is only possible as long as a person can not swallow itself, and thus warn against viewing Plumpy'nut as a miracle weapon against malnutrition. In addition, peanut -based ingredients have a higher allergenic potential than other food ingredients. A similar product based on wheat flour are designated as BP-5 Biscuit bars.