- Plumpy'nut
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Plumpy'nut 
Plumpy'nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) Nutritional value per serving Serving size 92 g Energy 2,100 kJ (500 kcal) Ingredients peanut paste, vegetable oil, powdered milk, powdered sugar, vitamins, and minerals Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: Nutriset, FrancePlumpy'nut is a peanut-based paste in a plastic wrapper for treatment of severe acute malnutrition manufactured by a French company, Nutriset.[1] Removing the need for hospitalization, a 92 gram packet of the paste can be administered at home and allow larger numbers to be treated.[1]
Plumpy'nut may be referred to in scientific literature as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) although other RUTFs do exist (e.g. BP-100, a solid form of therapeutic milk[2]).
Contents
Overview
Plumpy’nut has a two year shelf life and requires no water, preparation, or refrigeration.[1] Its ease of use has made mass treatment of malnutrition in famine situations more efficient than in the past.[3] Severe acute malnutrition has traditionally been treated with therapeutic milk and required hospitalization.[4] Unlike milk, Plumpy'nut can be administered at home and without medical supervision.[1] This utility has been recognized by the United Nations, which stated in 2007, "new evidence suggests... that large numbers of children with severe acute malnutrition can be treated in their communities without being admitted to a health facility or a therapeutic feeding centre."[5] Plumpy'nut conforms to the UN definition of a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).[1][5]
The ingredients in Plumpy'nut include "peanut-based paste, with sugar, vegetable fat and skimmed milk powder, enriched with vitamins and minerals."[1] Plumpy'nut is quoted as being "surprisingly tasty."[4]
Local production
While the majority of Plumpy'nut was made in France as of 2010, this therapeutic food is easily produced[4] and can be made locally in peanut-growing areas by mixing peanut paste with a slurry of other ingredients provisioned by Nutriset.[6]
As of 2011, 10 partner companies and one non-profit organization make Plumpy'nut locally; most are in Africa.[7]
How it works
Plumpy’nut is frequently used as a treatment for emergency malnutrition cases. It supports rapid weight gain, which can make the difference between life and death for a young child. The product is also easy for children to eat since they can feed themselves the soft paste. The fortified peanut butter-like paste contains a balance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins (macronutrients), and vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). Peanuts contain easily-digested monounsaturated fats. They are also relatively high in calories, which means that a patient receives a lot of nutrition from small amounts, important because malnutrition shrinks the stomach. They are rich in zinc and protein — both supportive for the immune system and long bone growth in reversing stunted height, while protein also contributes to muscle development. Peanuts are also a natural source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to convert food into energy.[citation needed]
Cost
A two month Plumpy'nut regimen for a child cost $60 in 2010.[4]
History
Inspired by the popular Nutella spread, Plumpy'nut was formulated by André Briend, a French paediatric nutritionist, and Michel Lescanne, a food-processing engineer,[4] in 1996.[1]
Patent issues
Nutriset holds US 6346284 (published in 2002) for the production of nut-based, nutritional foods as pastes, which they have defended to prevent non-licensees in developed countries from producing any similar products.
Some seek invalidation of Nutriset's patent. In 2010 two non-profit organizations based in the US, a country with a large number of peanut producers, sued the French company in an attempt to remove Plumpy'nut patent protections.[8]
Others have criticized Nutriset's licensing regime. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) wrote an open letter to Nutriset in November 2009 "call[ing] for the establishment of a more flexible licensing policy".[9] Nutriset has responded to the criticism; in many African countries, companies and NGOs are free to make the patented paste and need not pay any license fees.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Plumpy’nut®: Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)". Nutriset. http://www.nutriset.fr/en/product-range/produit-par-produit/plumpynut-ready-to-use-therapeutic-food-rutf.html. Retrieved 2 Aug. 2011.
- ^ "BP-100™ RUTF Therapeutic food". Compact for Life. http://www.compactforlife.com/bp-100-rutf/. Retrieved 4 Aug. 2011.
- ^ Schofield, Hugh (8 April 201). "Legal fight over Plumpy'nut, the hunger wonder-product". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8610427.stm. Retrieved 3 Aug. 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Rice, Andrew (September 2, 2010). "The Peanut Solution". New York Times Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/magazine/05Plumpy-t.html. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
- ^ a b Community-Based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition. World Health Organization, World Food Programme, United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition, The United Nations Children’s Fund. May 2007. pp. 2. ISBN 978-92-806-4147-9. http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/Statement_community_based_man_sev_acute_mal_eng.pdf.
- ^ "The PlumpyField network : how it works". Nutriset. http://www.nutriset.fr/en/international-networks/plumpyfield-network/plumpyfield-how-it-works.html?searched=plumpyfield&advsearch=oneword&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ For 10 partner companies and one non-profit, see "Mission and vision of the PlumpyField network". Nutriset. http://www.nutriset.fr/en/international-networks/plumpyfield-network/plumpyfield-mission-and-vision.html?searched=plumpyfield&advsearch=oneword&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- For most partners being in Africa, see "Map of PlumpyField members". Nutriset. Google. http://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=fr&msa=0&msid=115202536166361061105.00048a3a30592b97739ef&ll=46.073231,-32.871094&spn=59.058754,225&z=3. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ Schofield, Hugh (Thursday, 8 April 2010). "Legal fight over Plumpy'nut, the hunger wonder-product". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8610427.stm. Retrieved 10 Aug. 2011.
- ^ [http://www.msfaccess.org/resources/key-publications/key-publication-detail/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1596&cHash=5015b1b63b "MSF: Nutriset patent impeding access to treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition"]. Médecins Sans Frontières. 13 November 2009. http://www.msfaccess.org/resources/key-publications/key-publication-detail/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1596&cHash=5015b1b63b. Retrieved 4 Aug, 2011.
- ^ "Nutriset/IRD’s Patents Usage Agreement". Nutriset. http://www.nutriset.fr/en/access/patents-for-development/online-patent-usage-agreement.html. Retrieved 10 Aug. 2010.
External links
Categories:- 1999 introductions
- Dietary supplements
- Malnutrition
- Non-governmental organizations
- Peanut butter brands
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