Production Capacity Expands for Food to Fight Malnutrition

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) manufacturer Edesia, North Kingston, R.I., plans to double its capacity thanks to a recent gift of up to $137 million from the Bezos family. Edesia, a nonprofit social enterprise, has been producing Plumpy’Nut RUTF since its founding in 2010, supplying a life-saving nutrition product to 23 million children in more than 60 countries (Edesia 2023).

Rich in nutrients and calories, Plumpy’Nut is a ready-to-eat paste formulated with milk powder, peanuts, vegetable oil, sugar, vitamins, minerals, and sometimes soy to treat children 6 months of age and older with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Each shelf-stable, 92-gram, single-serve pouch provides 500 calories, 13 grams of protein, 30 grams of fat, and 45 grams of carbohydrates (Nutriset 2018).

A regimen of one to three pouches per day for six to 10 weeks has a 92% success rate at treating SAM (Edesia 2023), which affects about 19 million children under age five and leads to an estimated 400,000 child deaths each year (WHO 2023).

The History

Plumpy’Nut is the first ever RUTF. Jointly developed in 1996 by physician and pediatric nutritionist André Briend at the Research Institute for Development in France and Michel Lescanne, a food engineer and founder of French food company Nutriset, it revolutionized the treatment of SAM.

Before Plumpy’Nut, parents had to take their children to a therapeutic feeding center, often located far from home. They would stay for weeks so the child could receive therapeutic milk prepared on-site from fortified milk powder and water. Challenges included contagious diseases at crowded centers, parents withdrawing children prematurely so they could return to work, and vulnerability to aerial and ground attacks during conflicts (Giovetti 2022).

With Plumpy’Nut, treatment could be provided at home, after being prescribed by a medical professional through a community-based management of acute malnutrition program. As a ready-to-eat product, Plumpy’Nut eliminated the need for preparation and access to clean water, which might not be available. Easier distribution and high acceptance among children improved access and recovery rates, leading to the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP) endorsing RUTF for treating SAM in children with no medical complications and good appetites (WHO 2007).

In 2005, Nutriset established PlumpyField, a network of independent producers that now consists of nine partners in developing countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, India, and Haiti) and U.S. partner Edesia (PlumpyField 2023). Nutriset’s patent licensing requires partners to adhere to international nutrition and quality standards so the product is both effective and safe.

Key aspects of manufacturing RUTF like Plumpy’Nut include grinding ingredients to a particle size of less than 200 microns and embedding the protein and carbohydrate components into the lipid matrix for a homogeneous product that resists separation (Manary 2006). Manufacturers must also prevent water from getting into the product, which could support bacterial growth (Manary 2006). Ongoing cost reduction efforts are important as they enable major buyers such as UNICEF, WFP, and the United States Agency for International Development to purchase more units and treat more children.

Thanks to the recent Bezos family donation, U.S. manufacturer Edesia will be able to ramp up its production of Plumpy’Nut. Edesia has already announced plans to hire 50 more employees, increase storage capacity, and add production lines, with the aim of doubling production capacity and lowering prices (Edesia 2023).ft