Chapter 9 - 6

06 Science

Plumpy’nut

One of Africa’s greatest problems is malnutrition.

Many people, particularly children, are dying because they do not have enough food to eat.

Malnutrition is of particular concern for infants.

While it is possible for an adult to experience malnutrition, children are more likely to be affected by it in an adverse way.

A child under the age of three who experiences malnutrition is less likely to survive into adulthood.

Moreover, if children experience malnutrition before the age of three, their growth into adulthood can be permanently stunted.

Researchers have found ways to fight malnutrition, but until now these methods were not widely available.

However, a new type of food has been discovered that may provide relief in the fight against malnutrition.

Earlier attempts to treat malnutrition have come in the form of powdered milk.

The powdered milk products, known as F-75 and F-100, require a powder to be mixed with fresh water, which has to be refrigerated to avoid spoilage after mixing.

F-75 and F-100 were unable to adequately treat the malnutrition crisis due to the lack of available fresh water and refrigeration facilities in most African countries.

If powdered milk was mixed with impure water, contaminants could make people sick.

Moreover, the powdered milk products had to be mixed in hygienic conditions.

As such, the F-75 and F-100 products were only useful in hospitals, where they could be mixed with water known to be fresh in a hygienic environment.

The proposed alternative to F-75 and F-100’ is called Plumpy’nut.

It is a sticky substance made of peanut paste, vegetable oil, milk powder, sugar, vitamins, and minerals.

It was engineered by Andre Briend, a French scientist, in 1999 and has since been adopted by a number of humanitarian organizations working to fight malnutrition.

The product resembles peanut butter in texture and taste, but is fortified with a number of vitamins and minerals.

It can be prepared in other locations and can remain unopened for two years.

Furthermore, it is about as costly to transport as powdered milk alternatives and can be prepared by nearly anyone.

It needs only to be opened and eaten.

The impact of this seemingly simple development is truly remarkable.

Previously, children suffering from malnutrition had to be admitted to hospitals, where they were kept for two to four months.

Doctors would mix powdered milk and give it to the children regularly until they recovered.

Since the milk product had to be mixed in a hygienic environment, it was not practical to allow the children to leave until they were fully recovered.

With Plumpy’nut, doctors can diagnose malnutrition, instruct parents on how much to give their children daily, and release children on the same day they came in.

This discovery has become especially helpful in late summer, just before the harvest.

This period, known as “hunger season,” is the most common time for children to become malnourished, as food stocks from the previous year are nearly diminished.

In most areas, the only food available is millet, a grain that is crushed and made into porridge.

While millet provides calories, it does not contain any vitamins or minerals.

It is effectively an “empty” food in terms of nutrition.

By supplementing their children’s diet with Plumpy’nut during the hunger season, mothers can prevent the onset of malnutrition.

Using this method of distribution, children do not have to be taken from their homes for treatment of malnutrition.

They need only return to the hospital weekly to have their weight checked.

While the benefits of Plumpy’nut are evident, it is not a panacea to the hunger problem in Africa.

It is not possible to distribute the product to every single person in Africa.

Instead, doctors have specifically targeted children in their infancy.

If severe malnutrition can be averted in a child before he or she turns three, it is likely that the child will be able to grow into a healthy adult.

The production of Plumpy’nut may also benefit the country in another way; peanut-producing regions in parts of Africa can help produce the substance.

By producing and packaging Plumpy’nut, a region can sell the product to humanitarian organizations.

As a result, economic growth may be an added benefit of the presence of Plumpy’nut in Africa.

With economic growth, poverty can be combated in particular regions, potentially stabilizing them.

Plumpy’nut may very well be a key element in treating the hunger crises in Africa.